


Home Is a Person - Shorter Wong/Reader

by mhm1000



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: /Abandonment Issues, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Child Abandonment, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Sex, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Secrets, Fluff, Gang Violence, Gangs, Hidden Talents, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Loss of Virginity, Minor Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji, Mutual Pining, Shorter Wong Lives, Slow Burn, Smut, Unsafe Sex, it's like really slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2019-12-26 02:18:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 35,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18273797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mhm1000/pseuds/mhm1000
Summary: Going to America was a rare opportunity and maybe your only opportunity. So, when it arrises, you take it: You never expected it to take such a dark turn, though.Growing up in a simple town, having a simple life, had always been enough for you. So when you're thrown into a world of gang violence, danger, and drugs, it's a bit too much to handle.Thankfully, the boss of Chinatown comes to save the day.





	1. Chapter 1

“Charlie!”

Eiji yelped as Skip yanked his head back down behind the counter by his hair, “Keep your head down!”

The boy aimed his thumb down, “Charlie’s here now, we just have to stay still.”

You gripped your knees, trying to keep them steady. Each breath you took was short and heavy but you tried to keep it together so you weren’t a burden. The boy seemed unfazed by the situation and Eiji was even holding it together better than you.

To keep your eyes from tearing up, you shut them as you took a deep breath. As you opened them, you heard a man speak by your ear, “Don’t move,” and a knife was hovering by your temple.

The only sound your tight throat could manage was a choked cry. Eiji stuttered and grabbed your wrist, prepared to make a run for it.

“Damn you!” The boy took one of the many bottles strewn on the floor and smashed it over the man’s head. You marveled at the kid's bravery, but you were also a bit jealous: This little boy seemed to have more courage than you.

“Hurry, this way!” He took both Eiji and your wrists, dragging you towards a side staircase.

The sound of heavy footsteps thudding behind you caused you to run harder, almost tripping Eiji from behind in the process. You didn’t dare look over your shoulder, fearing if you did you would lose your footing on the dark staircase.

The boy pushed open a grate and began to scramble out, pulling Eiji who was pulling you. Relief washed over you; it was almost over. “Wow, an escape route,” Eiji poked his head out, wide-eyed and curious as always.

Skip hushed him but another voice cut in, “Hey there, Skip.”

Your eyes welled up at the sudden realization: It was a trap.

The three of you were dragged out. Skip shouted protests and curses as the gang members manhandled you and Eiji out of the hole.  
Sharp plastic bit into your skin as a zip tie was fastened around your wrists, “Hey, who the hell is this?” One of the men prodded a finger into your side and you clenched your fists.

“Who the fuck knows? She came with them so bring her anyway.”

This was so, obviously planned. They knew Eiji was going to be there. They knew Skip was going to be there as well. And now because of your insistence to come with Ibe on this trip, you were caught up in a gang fight.

The three of you were escorted towards a car and then shoved in. The fit was tight because of the guards in the back seat. Skip was last and you heard him yelling as he was pushed in the car. You looked behind your shoulder and saw that blonde-haired guy Eiji and Ibe had been interviewing in the bar. He was running hard, eyes focused on the car.

“Go!” The man dove in, crushing you against the other car door. 

The car sped off.

Tears ran down your cheek as you stared straight ahead, not moving. Hopeless thoughts were all you could think.

A gunshot reverberated throughout the small car. You gasped and your body trembled as the guard beside you began to sway limply with each movement of the car, blood trickling out of his mouth and nose. A few drops of blood spattered onto your shirt. Eiji scooted over as far as possible; mortified by the sight next to him.

This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t. All you had wanted was to experience something new, see something beyond your small town. You shut your eyes, ignoring the whimpers and shouts in the car. You shut down, pursing your lips. You focused on the sound of the car moving along the street and not the lifeless man beside you, leaning against you.

This was all just one big nightmare and you would wake up eventually.


	2. Chapter 2

“Eiji,” you bit your tongue and stifled your sobs.

A gun was pressed against his temple.

“Hold it,” Ash scoffed in disbelief, “You and your ways disgust me,” he tossed his gun to the ground.

Eiji eyes rounded out and he stared at Ash; shocked that he would do that for him, a complete stranger.

“What an admirable boss, looking out for his boys.” Ash was struck on the jaw; hard. He dropped to his knees, sputtering and coughing. “Time to pay you back for my fingers,” the man grinned.

______________________________________________________________________

Eiji kept saying he was fine but you kept babying him, despite him being two years older than you. The ties were surprisingly easy to get off with a little help from the others and your hands were free now. 

The door slid open and all three of you turned your attention to a bruised-up Ash. His limp body was carried in by two men and he was dropped like a piece of litter on a street.

“Ash!” The boy shuffled toward him.

“Are you okay?” Eiji did the same.

You stared at his head; keeping quiet.

Ash leaned against the wall between Skip and Eiji, “Damnit, don’t touch me,” he rasped out his words. It almost sounded like he had been strangled and his vocal cords were strained. “That hurt.”

A quiet tearing caught your attention: Eiji tore the hem of his button up off, “Give me your arm,” he began to wrap a tourniquet tightly around the gash on Ash’s arm, “We need to stop the bleeding.” The only sound was the fabric being wrapped but then Eiji spoke softly, “Thank you for saving my life.”

Ash averted his eyes, “You might wish I didn’t,” he sighed, “It doesn’t seem like they’ll let us die so easily now.”

He seemed to finally notice that someone else was in the room: You.

You couldn’t stop staring at his face. How was his disposition so calm and collected?

When he met your eyes the intensity of the stare was enough to make your breath catch in your throat; if looks could kill… 

But Ash didn’t speak. He only acknowledged your presence with a look then rested his head against the wall and shut his eyes.

______________________________________________________________________

Your nerves skyrocketed as the metal door scraped open, “How are you feeling, Ash?” The man was smoking a cigarette.

“What are you going to do?” Ash seemed to be challenging him with a glare.

“It all depends on you,” he smiled and stomped out his cigarette, “If you’re a good boy, I could put in a good word to Papa.”

The words he was using, the phrases: Everything about this man unnerved you. 

“I want to talk to you in private.” That seemed like the last thing he would want to do… but Ash seemed to be the unpredictable type.

The man’s smile grew, “Sure. You guys get out,” he gestured to the blonde-haired man who captured the four of you.

“You’re not going to let him go…”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Papa Dino put me in charge here.”

The blonde-haired man began to lunge forward, “You backstabber!” But he was grabbed by two other men. He continued raving and shouting as he was pulled away.

“You can have your fun but don’t forget your job,” a bodyguard spoke as he shut the door to the room.

Fun? What fun?

“I know, I know. Get lost.”

Skip leaned towards you and Eiji and whispered, “He’s gay and likes Ash.”

Bile rose in your throat and threatened to come out at the words. The burning sensation irritated your uvula and you coughed into your knees. The thought of that man… doing something to Ash with the three of you in the same room: It was horrifying to think about.

“So, what now,” the man chuckled and took a few steps forward.

Shockingly, Ash didn’t protest. He ran a hand up his chest, towards his neck; “Not in front of them,” he muttered. With a tilt of his head, he smirked, “Take me somewhere we can be alone.”

Eiji said something but you blocked it out. Your hair was draped over your knees which covered the front of your shirt. Cautiously, you slid a hand down your shirt and gripped the cold, steel object.

“My ribs are broken, could you help me up?” Ash grimaced.

“My poor baby.”

The man horrified you. The thought of him trying to do that… it disgusted you. With some slight maneuvering, you flicked open the small neck knife you kept hidden in your bra.

Before you knew what was happening, the man was being elbowed in the back of the neck. He dropped to the floor; partially unconscious.

You shot up, clutching the blade in your hand so tightly the veins on your wrist felt like they were bursting out from underneath your skin. Your breaths came in quick, heavy pants and your pupils flared at Ash. He glanced at your hand and you flinched when he glared at you. Was it because you didn’t say anything about the blade early? You averted your eyes and turned away as you closed up the knife and slid it back into your bra.

“Let’s go.”

With Ash in the lead, Skip, Eiji, and you followed behind. He was extremely light-footed, unlike the three of you who tried to keep up as quietly as him.

“They’re getting away!” The guards that were on watch began to go after you.

Unlike Eiji, you were quicker because of your smaller frame. You clutched his hand and pulled him along, urging him to go faster. He had been an athlete but that had been a while ago, before the accident.

The guards shouted and ran but eventually, their voices faded a bit.

“No, no, no,” you whispered softly to yourself as you ran up to the dead-end.

“A dead-end?”

“Damnit, we came this far!” Skip exclaimed and clenched his fists.

Eiji’s brow furrowed and he clutched a rusty pipe that was bolted to the wall. You watched him mess around with the dirt until there was an indentation in the soft ground. You shook your head as his idea struck you.

“Eiji. Eiji, no!”

Alarm bells ringing in your mind blocked out Skip’s words.

“I used to be a pole jumper,” he explained while ignoring you.

“Are you out of your mind?” Ash crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, watching Eiji look the wall up and down.

“I’ve jumped higher walls in Japan.” It was true; you had seen it with your own eyes. “I’m a pole-vaulter.”

“Are you crazy? If that rotten pipe breaks you’re dead.”

“Yeah, there aren’t any mats either.”

“Then are we just going to die here?!” He shouted and it startled you, “If I’m going to die: I will at least die trying.”

The amount of courage Eiji had at this moment shocked you… and made you a bit envious.

Eiji straightened his back and faced the wall. He walked backward; inhaled, then exhaled.

The guards came just at that moment and you tensed up.

He rushed towards the wall and you clutched your chest. It felt like your heart was going to burst out. You squeezed your eyes shut.

The two audibly gasped. You opened your eyes.

Eiji was flying.


	3. Chapter 3

The crash and dull thud that came after his vault caused the three of you to wince: Silently, you prayed that he would be okay.

That same man from before, he shoved Skip to the ground. You knelt down quickly and touched the boy's arm; carefully easing him into a sitting position.

“Where’d you hide that punk?” He gripped Ash by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall.

“He flew,” Ash looked him in the eyes and smiled, “Like a bird.”

“Shut your mouth!” His fist landed against Ash’s jaw and you stood up quickly as he fell to the ground. “You’re done now, I’m going to kill-”

“Stop!” Your voice trembled.

The response you were met with was a harsh backhand across the face. Your head whipped to the side and you gaped at the floor, a hand slowly reaching up to your throbbing cheek.

He jeered at you, “Stupid bitch,” then faced the group of guys behind him, “We gotta relocate.”

The heat spreading across your cheek was intense enough to make you break a sweat. You couldn’t help but glare through your watery eyes. He noticed it and shoved you backward, between the two boys already on the floor. You yelped as you banged your elbows against the brick.

“I’ll take care of them there,” he wiped his forehead off on his sleeve.

The feeling of eyes on you made you glance over at Ash again. His expression was harder; angrier.

Bindings were tied around your wrists again and you were all escorted back to the same room. Except more guards were assigned to the sliding door so there was no chance of anyone getting out.

It felt scarier and even lonelier without Eiji.

Skip spoke, “I bet Eiji got ahold of the cops.” When nobody responded, he faced you, “Feel okay? You fell pretty hard.”

“She’s fine.”

What had you done wrong?

“I’m sorry,” you almost didn’t hear yourself say it.

“What?” The tone of his voice almost mimicked disgust.

“I must have done something wrong. I cannot figure out… I’m sorry,” your sentence fell flat and you felt awkward after saying it.

Neither Ash nor Skip said anything for a few moments. 

“When you’re gonna do something; follow through with it. Don’t half-ass it only to back out.” That was all he said.

__________________________________________________________________________

“Okay, let’s go for a ride now,” Marvin glanced over his shoulder and his lips curled into a disgusting grin.

“She and Skip have nothing to do with this. Let them go.”

“Ash!” Skip was obviously reluctant to leave his side.

“Not so fast. It doesn’t seem like you want to join the party. We’ll have the little brat and the girl dance for us instead.”

You didn’t understand what he meant by those words but it scared Ash.

“No!” He ordered a guard to grab Ash and he was dragged towards the car, “Let go of me! Skip! Get your hands off me…!” He struggled against the man and against the rope around his wrists.

Suddenly, everyone turned their attention towards the shouts and sounds of fighting.

“Ash! Skip! Where are you?!” A flash of purple caught your eye and something in a guards face cracked as a metal pipe landed against it.

Ash slammed into a man aiming a gun just as he fired and yelled, “Watch out, Dino’s guys are here!”

Then the sirens came. Police cars turned the corner and everyone scrambled behind objects; everyone was afraid of the cops.

“Ash!”

Two shots pierced the air.

Horrified, Ash broke away from the guy holding him and rushed towards Skip. He muttered things to the boy; his name, telling him to stay awake, to not die.

And among it all, you stood; watching. 

You watched the cops rush towards the car Ash was in, chasing after Marvin.

The man preventing you from running off was gone; scared by the cops and by Ash’s allies.

So, you ran.


	4. Chapter 4

Sweaty hair stuck to your forward. The burn in your calves was incredible but you kept running. With your hands still tied, your running was off-balance and sloppy, but you still went.

But when your legs buckled and you felt your calf tremble because of the exhaustion; you couldn’t keep up the pace anymore. You tumbled onto the ground, ripping your jeans as you skinned your knees.

More footsteps followed from behind you and shoved your head the ground, clenching your fists over and over: You wanted to scream but your throat was too dry and your body felt too weak to do much of anything at the moment.

So, when a hand slid around your waist and pulled you out of the fetal position, you didn’t struggle. Warm tears slid down your cheeks and once those gates opened you couldn’t close them, no matter how hard you tried. You wept.

“He’s… he’s,” he shushed you and began to untie the cloth around your wrists.

Once your hands were unbound, you dug the heels of your palms into your eyes and wiped away most of the tears.

“We gotta get up. Can you do that for me?” The timbre of his voice was gentle.

You nodded and allowed yourself to be pulled up.

After rubbing your eyes again, you glanced up and finally got a good look at the guy.

That purple… he was the same guy from before, with the pipe.

The guy had tan skin. His most defining feature was his hair, though: It stood tall and was messy-looking, but also kinda soft-looking too. And it was purple… this guy would definitely stand out in a crowd.

Your bottom lip trembled and you clutched your hands together, “Thank you,” you whispered hoarsely.

He smiled slightly, “Take some deep breaths, alright?” When you did as he told he praised you, “There ya go.” Even though he spoke with enthusiasm, you could hear the undertone of sadness and pity.

The cops caught up and they surrounded you. You stepped backward and everything in your body locked up. A couple of them asked if you were alright and if you were hurt; you stuttered and stepped backward again. You backed up into something solid and looked up: He shot you a sympathetic look and placed his hands on your shoulders.

The cop that seemed to be in charge had brown, curly hair. He stepped forward, “(Y/n)? (y/n) (l/n)? You’re with Eiji, right? He asked about you… asked if you were safe,” he seemed out of breath.

“Eiji?” You perked up.

“He’s at the hospital now. When he was coming to get help, he got cut up.”

That was what that crash was…

“You have to come with me. Eiji and Ibe have been worried sick.”

Just by the mention of their names you felt calmer. Also, knowing that Eiji was okay was a huge relief.

“Okay.”

You stepped forward and began to follow the cop, but you stopped and turned back around.

“What’s your name?” You inquired timidly.

A half a smile played upon his lips, “Shorter.”

“Shorter,” you repeated the name to yourself, trying to hear how it sounded coming from you. “Thank you, again.”

He nodded and waved from his hip as you continued to follow behind the policeman.


	5. Chapter 5

“Eiji!” You wrapped him in a tight hug.

He patted your back and then scooted back so he could sit up. When you pulled away his eyes flickered to the welt on your cheek. His cool fingers brushed along the sensitive skin and he frowned, “What happened?”

“That man… he was hitting Ash and Skip,” you squeezed Eiji’s hand at the mention of Skip, “I told him to stop,” you scoffed; what you said seemed ridiculous now that you thought over it, “And I was hit.”

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you… it almost feels like it’s my-”

You shook your head, “No. If you did not get help then they would have kept fighting.”

“Who was fighting?” He leaned forward a bit and his eyes widened.

“Ash’s friends; they came to help him.”

“Other gang members,” he added quietly.

“Yes. And Shorter.”

Eiji rested his chin in his hand, “Shorter?”

Your eyes lit up, “He has a mohawk,” you spoke as if it was some sort of big secret, “And it’s purple.”

“Mhm?” He urged you on.

“When the others came I ran away. He helped me. He was nice.”

Something else seemed to be bothering Eiji, “What about Ash and Skip?”

“Skip,” you bit your lip, “He was shot… by that man. Ash followed after him.”

Suddenly, he embraced you tightly, “I should’ve been there.”

You didn’t like how he was beating himself up.

“But, how Ash must feel; I can’t imagine,” he pulled away and scowled, “Do you know where he went?”

“No. The man got in a car, he followed him.”

“I want to get out of here,” he sighed.

“Does your arm still hurt?”

“It’s alright. Please, do not worry.”

The two of you sat in the quiet, enjoying the moment of peace. You let your eyes wander back to his face and noticed his scowl, “What is wrong?”

“If I had stayed, Skip would be alive. He would have gotten away if it wasn’t for me,” he curled his fingers into the bedsheets, “I feel so bad. I only got in their way.”

“Eiji, now the policemen have a lead. Ash can still be found.”

“I still-”

“If I am not allowed to be worried about you; you cannot be worried either,” you held your hand up and stuck your pinkie out, “Deal?”

He managed to roll his eyes and smile weakly. You waggled your pinkie until he hooked his own around yours, “Deal.”

While the two of you chatted, completely oblivious to what was happening outside that hospital room: A storm was brewing at the police station.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little thing I wanted to mention. I wanted to try and make it seem like Eiji and the reader have broken/odd English speaking habits. I did some research and apparently, it helps to not use many contractions and have blunt, short sentences. I hope it's been working lmao.

The news about Ash was a big shock to Eiji. But when Charlie (the policeman that took you back to Ibe) recommended Eiji talk to him, that was more of a surprise. He was worried Ash would blame him for Skip.

You did your best to reassure him before he walked into the hospital room but it didn’t help much. Of course, you wouldn’t go in: Ash didn’t seem to like you one bit.

“I’m sure he will not be mad,” you tried your best to smile. You hoped it would ease his nerves if you didn’t look or act nervous.

“Thanks,” was all he said.

“I will be with Ibe waiting.”

He nodded and you waved as you started to walk back down the small hallway, back to the waiting room.

When he looked back through the glass he saw that Ash had been looking at the exchange. He slid open the door, “Hey,” he pulled up a stool that was against the wall, “How are you feeling?”

“Look who’s asking,” Ash scoffed, “There weren’t any mats, huh?”

Nothing about Ash’s tone or expression showed any sort of anger; Eiji relaxed his tense back. “Nah, but it is not such a big deal,” he glanced down at his arm.

“That was quite a jump,” he sighed and leaned back into the pillow, “I didn’t know you had a talent like that.”

Eiji stared at his lap; he would have to mention it sometime. “I did not get to thank Skip.” They were quiet for a moment until something struck him, “Hey, Ash… Um… Uh…” He brought his fist up to his mouth and began muttering.

“Charlie sent you here, right?”

“What? Um, well…” He cursed himself for being such a crappy liar.

“You’re a lousy liar,” he rested his hands behind his head, “Did you hear about my past from him?”

He coughed, “W-What past?”

“I guess such nasty things don’t happen in Japan,” his tone was very melancholy yet nonchalant at the same time.

“I don’t know.”

Ash faced the window, “I envy you… and that girl. She okay?”

“(Y/n)? She is shaken up still but she is well.”

“She tell you what happen after I left?”

“Yes. She said someone helped her: Shorter?”

“Shorter…” Ash furrowed his brow and stared out the window with a hard expression, “Anyway, why’s she on the trip with you and Ibe? She wasn’t taking pictures or interviewing anyone at the bar.”

“We have been friends since childhood. It is a coincidence but her birthday is in two weeks: I thought it would be a nice surprise.” The look you had on your face when he told you that you could come would stay in his memory forever. He had never seen you look so happy.

“How old is she turning?” 

“18. She is excited,” Eiji smiled to himself.

“She’s 17?”

“Yes.”

He crossed his arms then uncrossed them, “Oh.”

______________________________________________________________________

You shot up in your seat at the sight of Eiji coming through the door with Ibe; he looked like he had been crying.

“Eiji?”

He waved you off with his hand, “I’m alright, (Y/n). Remember our deal?”

You nodded and shut your mouth. Why had been crying after speaking to Ash? Was Ash mad? Did he blame Eiji? You bit the inside of your cheek and thought about the deal; no worrying.

But you couldn’t help but worry a little bit.


	7. Chapter 7

“What?”

“You should stay here, (y/n).”

“Why?”

Ibe backed up Eiji, “You don’t need to come. There’s nothing interesting where we’re going.”

“I want to come,” you looked back and forth between them, hoping for some sort of compromise. 

“Look-”

“I won’t get in the way,” you pleaded.

“No!” Eiji had never spoken to you like that and it made you wince, “You are not going.”

“Ok,” you didn’t even feel like trying if you were just going to get scolded.

“I’ll bring you back something to eat,” Ibe smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, obviously trying to ease the tension.

“How long will you be?” You followed them to the door.

“No longer than two hours,” Eiji looked to Ibe for confirmation and he nodded.

They stepped out the door and you said a small goodbye as they closed the door behind them.

Quietly, you scoffed, “This is stupid."

They just expected you to do nothing for two hours while they got to go somewhere?

Hell no.

______________________________________________________________________

You slid your phone out of your pocket and checked the time; it had only been half an hour since you left.

It may have been a stupid idea, but it felt like a good idea at the time.

As you walked further down the street, the number of people increased. This part of the city seemed awfully crowded. Your nerves jumped when you saw a small group of men; they dressed similar to how those gang members dressed.

Quickly, you batted away the thoughts: Eiji taught you not to judge someone too harshly on their appearance.

Something that really caught your eye was the clothing some people were wearing. Everything was so informal and the bright colors that some people wore really popped.

You walked past a couple of people smoking and inhaled when you got a whiff off the smoke; you could almost taste it. It was bitter and smelled like ash.

This area was different from the other parts of the city you had walked by. Many of the people looked similar to you; they looked Asian. This must’ve been Chinatown. While on the plane headed for New York, Eiji had told you about different parts of the city and he said you and him would go to Chinatown together.

Little shops were embedded into building walls and you kept looking around, trying to see everything inside of them. Boxes and rugs with Chinese symbols were draped over racks in one shop. In another, purple and blue paper dragons and fans were hung on hooks.

Yet again, you checked your phone: You had an hour or so left. Just walk for a little bit longer, then head back.

A smell filtered through the door of a restaurant: Your stomach growled. It smelled absolutely delicious. Instantly, you recognized the smell; Chinese food.

You were practically drooling as you began to follow the scent. As you walked, you felt around for your debit card. When you gripped it, you were overjoyed. Maybe, instead of walking you could grab something to eat.

“Table for one?” A short-haired woman was holding a menu.

You nodded, “Yeah.”

“Sit wherever you like.”

After you sat down in a booth near the middle of the restaurant, the woman placed the menu down, “Thank you.”

What type of Chinese food did they have, you wondered.

You jumped in your seat when a man seemingly popped out of nowhere with a bowl of soup in his hands, “Here, this is for you. For free.”

Out of surprise, you laughed nervously and murmured a thank you. The man had a mustache and a small beard just on his chin. He wore glasses, too. His eyes looked friendly.

“I’m Chang. This is my restaurant,” he grinned, “You here for something in particular, miss?”

“Oh! I just… was hungry, actually.”

“Eat, eat,” he placed his chin in his hand and smiled.

The soup steamed because of how hot it still was. You took the spoon and blew on it, then swallowed. It burned your throat on the way down but the taste was delicious; it had an onion flavor to it, probably from the leeks. And the cauliflower added a nice texture.

“It is very good. Thank you,” the side of your lip quirked upward into a tiny smile.

“I made it myself,” Chang beamed, obviously proud of his work.

“You are a good chef. How long have you owned this restaurant?”

“Quite a while. You came here yourself?” He changed the subject quickly which was odd but he seemed like a high-energy guy so you brushed it off.

“Mhm,” you spoke as you took another taste of the soup.

“That is dangerous!” He wagged a finger at you, “These streets can get very active, especially later at night.”

“I did think about that. But I wanted to look around: It is my first time outside Japan.”

“Oh? Have you enjoyed it so far?” Chang rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward curiously.

“It has been… okay,” you shrugged and chewed a piece of cauliflower.

“Aw, why the expression?” 

“I would rather not get into it, I apologize. But, besides that, today has been good. New York is so… interesting. It is diverse and exciting. All the different places to go; I want to see everything!” A genuine grin spread across your face and you felt hopeful that you would have a good time for the rest of your trip.

“You should remember to keep an eye out, though. This city can be dangerous if you aren’t careful.”

As he finished his sentence and as you drained the bowl of liquid, your phone began to vibrate in your pocket. You pulled it out and the color drained from your face, “No, no, no…” Chang tilted his head at you and you said excuse me before answering it, “H-Hello?” You answered shakily.

“Where are you?! Where did you go?!” Eiji sounded so worried and you felt your good mood dissipate; it was replaced with guilt. 

“I went for a walk. I will come straight back!” You hung up, “How much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry about. I said it was free, didn’t I?”

“But, I should pay-”

“Nonsense! From what I could hear from that call, your friend didn’t sound too happy. Don’t worry about the money,” he nodded to reassure you.

“I do not feel right about it. But, if you insist,” you sighed and stood up, “Thank you for the meal.”

His response was another cheerful smile. You bowed slightly in thanks again. As you hurried out he said, “I hope to see you again. Perhaps, you can your friend can come back before you leave.”

As you walked out the door you flashed him a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

“Why did you leave? I was worried sick, (y/n),” Eiji crossed his arms.

“I took a walk-hey wait! You said no worrying,” you pointed an accusing finger at him.

“Now is not the time-” he deadpanned, “Fine. At least text me before doing something like that, okay?”

“That is fair.”

Eiji’s features contorted and his eyebrows knitted together, “Uh… I have to go do something.”

“What do you mean?”

“Okay, okay!” He gently took your wrist and pulled you into the hallway, away from Ibe, “It is for Ash. Can you please not mention anything to Ibe? I don’t want him to worry.”

“What does he want you to do?” You stepped closer, lowering your voice.

“He wants me to find Shorter Wong. He was that guy you spoke about, right?”

One of your eyebrows rose, “Yeah. I think they are friends. He came looking for Ash when he was kidnapped.”

“I have to find him,” he looked like he was done talking but then he added on, “And do not tell Ibe!”

When Eiji began to step away you gripped his shirt, “I want to come.”

“No.”

You smirked, “If you do not let me go I will tell Ibe.”

“That is so unfair!” He whisper-yelled.

“Come on, Eiji…” You began to walk towards the kitchen, where Ibe was.

“Fine! But you stay by my side,” he scowled.

“That sounds good to me.”

______________________________________________________________________

“Thanks for guiding us here,” Arthur shoved Eiji backward into the wall.

You writhed to get out of his grip, “My guys had been following you,” he seemed rather pleased with himself, “What did Ash tell you?”

Eiji glared at him, “Nothing.”

Arthur chuckled, “I can’t kill you since you’re a gift for Dino, but her…” His arm gripped your waist tighter and he pulled something out of his pocket. Cold metal was placed against your throat and you screwed your eyes shut. “Talk, or she dies.”

He inhaled sharply and shook his head lightly, “He said to retrieve what he left here.”

Another one of Arthur’s friends cut in, “A bottle with powder in it! About this size,” he held his two fingers up to indicate the tiny bottle.

The doctor spoke up, “It’s on the desk. Take it and leave!”

Once the man had the tiny bottle in his hands he gasped, his pupils flared.

Suddenly, the metal began to press into your throat harder. His chest rumbled as he laughed.

Eiji struggled to get up, “But I talked!”

Arthur shuffled forward, forcing you to move closer, “You, I’ll take. Ash will suffer watching Dino have fun with you.”

Once the knife pierced your skin you yelped and began to move erratically, trying to get away.

“Jesus…” He grunted and squeezed your waist so tightly it felt like your ribs would crack.

“She has nothing to do with this! Just, let her go!” Just as Eiji seemingly got his footing, he went off balance because of his bound hands and stumbled backward into the wall. He groaned as he slammed his elbow against the wall so he could get his balance back.

“Skip died, and now these people will too.”

Your body ached and his grip was bruising. 

“You’re out of your mind,” Eiji retorted.

“Stop moving, you bitch,” Arthur dropped the knife and snagged his fingers in your hair, pulling on it roughly.

“Why are you doing this?” Your voice was weak and it cracked as you spoke.

“Ash has made a fool of me all this time. He’ll pay until he dies,” he gestured towards doctor with his chin, “You, if you want to die with dignity, I suggest you end your own life. Maybe, I’ll even let Ash watch.”

A soft clicking sound caught your attention and you strained to look behind you. Arthur’s arms went limp and his chest seemed to tighten against your back. You ripped away from him and practically collapsed onto the floor.

“It’s your life that’s gonna end. Your big mouth was so loud, you didn’t hear you watchmen go down.”

Something about the voice was familiar. You looked up. “Shorter?” You were breathless; this was the second time he had saved you.

“Drop 'em. Or I’ll blow his head off.”

Arthur’s guys dropped their weapons and let the doctor and his assistant go.

“Forget it, old guy. You can’t kill people.”

The curtain that separates the rooms opened slowly.

“Griff! No, you’re supposed to be dead!” The man that looked like a scientist pulled out a gun and you froze. “Why are you here?!”  
The dirty-blonde man, supposedly named Griff, muttered incoherent things as he reached out towards him. The man shouted and waved his gun around, “Stay away!”

A bullet hit the man and he dropped to the floor. Your ears rang from the loud sound and you covered your ears with your hands.

Everyone was distracted, even Shorter. Arthur elbowed him in the stomach and he doubled over, clutching his gut. The gun fell on the floor in the corner as it was kicked out of his hand. Shorter dodged a hit from Arthur and then fell back as another bullet whizzed through the air by his head.

“Later, Shorter,” Arthur yelled as he and his guys ran out of the room.

He kicked the gun out of the guy's hand but then pressed himself against the wall as another shot rang.

“Both of you, get down!”

Eiji threw himself on the ground and you did the same.

“Tell Ash we’ll be back!” 

The footsteps receded and the gunshots stopped.

“Damn,” Shorter clenched his fist and hit the ground in frustration.

You had kneeled by Eiji and began to untie his wrists. Angry, red marks were embedded in his wrists and you nibbled your bottom lip furiously.

“You okay?” Shorter stood in front of you two and held his hands out for the both of you. Eiji and you took them and he pulled you up.

“Thanks,” Eiji spoke breathlessly, “But him…”

The three of you stood up and stepped towards the man on the floor. He was bleeding out quickly.

“How is he?”

“I’m doing what I can. He finally came around and remembered something. Don’t die now. For Ash,” he seemed to be speaking more to that man than to Shorter.

“Why Ash? Who is he?” Shorter tilted his head.

“Ash’s older brother.”

The bite on your lip began to bleed and you wet your lips. Shorter and Eiji peered down at the man and gasped.


	9. Chapter 9

“I wonder if Ash’s brother will be okay,” Eiji shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at his sneakers.

“We’ll just have to leave it to the Doc. I’m just glad you two were safe,” he sighed and rolled his shoulders.

“But they took the bottle I was supposed to give to you.”

Everything they were speaking about was confusing you. Why wouldn’t Eiji just tell you what was going on? It was like you were completely in the dark about everything.

“It must be something really important seeing how upset they were.”

The two of them were quiet and you asked the question that had been on your mind for the past half an hour.

“How did you find us? We couldn’t find you at Chang Dai.”

“Nah, I was there.”

“Chang said you had been gone for a while,” you clasped your hands behind your back and looked up at him.

“Did you forget me already?” He teased. 

“Huh?”

Shorter turned towards Eiji, “Hey, did you know she had already been to Chang Dai before you?”

“What?” Eiji turned towards you, pouting, “What are you talking about?”

“She took a walk through Chinatown,” Shorter seemed to find your embarrassment amusing because he kept at it.

“That is so dangerous! I knew you took a walk but through Chinatown?! Alone?!” He looked exasperated.

Shorter chuckled, “Don’t worry, Eiji. I was with her.”

Now it was both your turn to be confused.

“Where?” You both said in unison.

For a moment he turned his back. The Eiji and you glanced at each other. But, then he turned back around; fake mustache and cap. A piece of his purple hair stuck out in the front but other than that he looked exactly like Chang.

“Here!” 

“What?!” Both of your jaws dropped.

Shorter leaned closer to your face, a smug grin on his face, “I couldn’t say because when the two of you came together, you were followed.”

“Why did you not say anything when it was just me?”

“There are spies all over Chinatown. Arthur’s guys to be specific," he jammed his thumbs into his chest and pointed at himself, "They're all looking for me. It was too risky.”

“Did you really cook that soup?” You looked him up and down.

He placed a hand on his heart, faking offense “Of course I did! Are you doubting my skill as a chef?”

You held your hands up defensively, “No, no! You do not… seem like the type to be into cooking.”

“I’m into a lot of things you wouldn’t expect,” he crossed his arms, then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “That sounded wrong.”

“What?” You didn’t understand what he meant by that.

“I’ll explain: It sounded wrong in the contex-”

Eiji interrupted frantically, “He meant nothing by it!”

You glanced behind your shoulder at Eiji and shrugged, “Ok.”

Shorter shrugged and leaned back against the wall. After a few seconds of quiet, you felt him move closer to you. He leaned down slightly and whispered into your ear, “I’ll tell you later.”

You covered your mouth with your hand and giggled as Eiji panicked, “You will not!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was mad short but whatever


	10. Chapter 10

“I thought the kidnapped you again! I was scared to death!” Ibe shook Eiji by his shoulders and leaned down so he was eye-level.

“I’m sorry.”

He exhaled, “I’m just glad you two are safe. What happened?”

______________________________________________________________________

Eiji and Shorter explained to Ibe what had transpired yesterday: Arthur, Chang Dai, Ash’s older brother, and the note Ash _slipped_ Eiji during his visit.

“Arthur’s men shot him. But, we can’t take him to the hospital or the syndicate will find him.”

“Syndicate?” Ibe glanced at Eiji, wide-eyed.

“We found out who Banana Fish is. The thing Charlie told us about.”

_Banana fish?_

“Tell him what you told us, Doc,” Shorter said.

“Yeah,” the man said tiredly, “I’d kept some aside.”

You stayed quiet but listened very, very closely.

“What is it?”

“It is what that man that was killed handed to Ash.”

The doctor explained, “So far, I’ve figured out that it’s some kind of hallucinogen like LSD. But… LSD’s symptoms only last for eight hours. But this lasted for 24. Or perhaps even longer. The experiment couldn’t last any longer. All the rats died. They became violent and began to excessively hurt themselves. In other words, suicide.”

“Suicide?” Ibe echoed the words.

“Remember what Charlie said? About the strange suicide reports that have been coming in?” Eiji asked.

“It’s probably something the guy created,” the doctor hypothesized.

“There was a man in glasses with Arthur and his guys. Ash’s brother called him “Banana Fish.”

The amount of information you had to process in such a short amount of time was insane. Banana Fish? LSD? A drug like LSD but stronger? Did it cause suicide? Suicide reports? Was someone experimenting on humans with the drug?

“You think somebody is experimenting on people with the drug, Eiji?” Everyone had seemed to forget you were in the room so when you spoke it startled Ibe and Eiji, but not Shorter.

“Yes. It is horrible to think about but it’s logical.”

The doctor insisted you all clear out once the conversation was over. Once the four of you were outside the apartment, it was time to go your separate ways.

Eiji said a quick goodbye to Shorter and followed after Ibe. 

“Bye, Shorter,” you waved from your hip.

“Aw, don’t say it like that. You’re saying it like I’ll never see you again or something,” he rubbed the back of his head.

“What?” Whenever Shorter said something he always left you confused…

“I’m teasing you. See ya, kid.”

As he went down the stairs you stood still, “Kid?” You muttered under your breath; absolutely offended.

Shorter chuckled to himself as he kept walking; it was kinda funny to see your reactions, they were cute.


	11. Chapter 11

“I am not going back to Japan!” Eiji practically shouted, “How can you say that now?”

“Because of what’s happening! The syndicate knows you’re close with Ash. Who knows when they’ll come after you?”

He slumped in his seat, “I am not scared.”

Ibe shook his head, “That’s not what I’m talking about. This is real. They’re a real mafia syndicate. If something ever happens to you, what do I say to your parents? It was hard enough persuading them to let you and (y/n) come.”

You kept quiet, preferring to let Eiji speak, “I understand what you’re saying. And I am grateful you brought me here. I really needed that then. But I won’t go home,” he slammed his fist on the table, “I can’t!”

“No! You’re going home with me!”

“Hey,” the side door opened up and the short-haired woman waved at the three of you to come inside.

“Doc,” Ibe started to speak.

“12:32. I’m sorry.”

“No,” Eiji rubbed his temples, “What do I tell Ash?”

“Let’s tell Charlie.”

“Ibe-”

“This isn’t a matter for us amateurs.”

Even Shorter cut in, “I’m with him. You’re no match for them.”

“What do I tell Ash?” Eiji repeated.

“Let’s not tell him yet. He won’t be able to stay calm. Golzine’s men could take advantage and get to him.”

There was that name again; Golzine. He had been mentioned every so often but you didn’t know much about him. You sighed quietly; yet another thing you were in the dark about.

“But we’ll have to tell him sometime,” Eiji stared at Griff, “First Skip, now Griff…”

“I’m going to tell Charlie,” Ibe left and the subject about Eiji and you going back to Japan was forgotten about, or at least put-off.

______________________________________________________________________

You, Eiji, and Shorter sat at one of the tables in Chang Dai.

“Shorter, who is Golzine?”

He leaned back in the booth and stretched, “He’s the boss of the syndicate and is very dangerous.”

“From what I have heard, he’s the one behind everything that has happened, right?”

“Spot on,” he clicked his tongue, “He’s the one pulling the strings in this city.”

“And Ash wants to go up against him?”

“Yup. I got no clue how he’s gonna manage it but… I’ll be with him.”

“Why does he want to? If he knows how hard it will be?” You placed your hands on the table and intertwined your fingers.

“That’s his own business,” he spoke curtly.

Again, the silence fell onto the three of you. Each of you had your own worries to be thinking about.


	12. Chapter 12

“Really? Ash is getting out of jail?” Eiji looked incredibly happy. 

“Mhm. Captain Jenkins helped him. But this all ends here for us. After we take Ash to the captain, we’re heading straight for the airport,” Ibe facial expression was serious and you knew he wasn’t kidding around or willing to compromise this time.

“Okay,” Eiji replied quietly.

______________________________________________________________________

Since the plan was to drop Ash off then go right to the airport, you had to come along. That definitely messed with your nerves. Ever since thinking about the interaction between you two, you had a suspicion that he hated you.

You walked between Eiji and Ibe and kept glancing at Ash’s feet.

“Hey, Charlie. I never told you this but… I actually have a big brother.”

Immediately, you saw Eiji pace quicken.

“Really? I never knew.”

“He must be worried, so I want to go see him. Before we go see Captain.”

Charlie groaned and placed a hand on his forehead, “Ash, listen. I can’t keep it from you any longer. I need you to stay calm…”

______________________________________________________________________

Ash had taken the news… different than you expected. You expected him to lash out in anger, which would’ve been justified. But, he didn’t. He was sadder than angry.

“I am sorry, Ash. It’s my fault for being followed.”

“Eiji…” Ibe gave him an empathetic look.

“You okay?” Charlie noticed how Ash was hunched in the corner.

“I feel sick. Can you stop the car?”  


“Sure,” he pulled over near the sidewalk and stopped.

With the keys still in the ignition, he got out went to the other side of the car, “Here, grab my hand,” his phone began to buzz and he reached into his back pocket.

A familiar click made your heart stop in your chest.

“What are you doing?” Charlie stepped back slowly.

“Sorry you three, I need you to get out.”

You looked at Eiji for any sort of guidance but he was focused on the keys.

“Don’t be stupid. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Ask your chatty friend. He knows,” Ash’s voice sharpened.

“Max? That idiot…” Charlie slapped his forehead with his hand, “Calm down, we know the shooter is with Arthur.”

Hesitantly, Eiji took your hand and started to pull you out of the car with him. He shut the door.

“I don’t care! This is my problem! I’m going to settle it myself. Get out of my way.”

Ibe shouted, “Watch out, it’s Arthur!”

Even you got scared.

Ash got distracted by Ibe’s yelling and his guard was let down at the mention of Arthur. Charlie rushed forward and tried to grab the gun but Ash was quicker. He kicked at him and Ibe tried to help pry the gun away.

Eiji whispered something to you that made your blood run cold, “I know you will come with me if I get in the car. So choose now; I won’t try and stop you from coming this time.”

He sprinted to the other side of the car. Without thinking, you opened the door and got back inside: You wanted to stay with Eiji.

Your body was forced back into the seat as he slammed on the gas. Ash kicked Ibe and Charlie off and shut the door, he was out of breath and his clothing was out of place from being tugged on.

Once the car was far enough away that you couldn’t hear them yelling after it, Ash pulled his seat out and put his feet up on the dashboard.

“I bet Ibe is furious.”

“Stop the car.”

“Huh?” Eiji looked for a place to pull over and the car eventually halted to a stop.

“You two; out.”

“No. This is my problem, too. Your brother was shot right in front of my eyes,” Eiji rested his head on the steering wheel, “All because we were followed. After you told me to be careful.”

“Japanese people must be masochists. You feel responsible for everything.”

Eiji didn’t say anything, nor did you.

“Fine. Then she should get out.”

“What?” Eiji shot right back up.

Ash leaned up and turned his head around so he could look at you, “You shouldn’t be here.”

The confrontation he was providing was mortifying for you, “Why?” You swallowed but it did nothing to help your dry throat.

“‘Cause, you’re a kid. You’re scared and you might not get out of this alive: You can’t handle this.”

That hurt. It hurt because it was true.

“I want to come. I would rather be with Eiji here, in danger, then be back in Japan worried if he will ever come home again.”

He shrugged, “What is it with you two? You guys dating or something?”

“No!” You noticed the red creep up Eiji’s neck.

“It’s like you guys are always together; seemed like a fair question.”

“I just…” No, you couldn’t get into it. Not in this car, not with this person who clearly didn’t want you around. Why would he care what you had to say anyway? “It doesn’t matter.”

“Have it your way, then.”

“Really? So, we can stay with you?”

“You two better look after your own asses. And don’t get in my way,” he looked at Eiji, “You’re older than me, right?”

He bit his lip and nodded, “Yeah. Uh, where to now?”


	13. Chapter 13

“I bet Shorter can’t wait to see you!”

You and Eiji followed behind Ash like two puppies on a leash; Eiji more so than you. Ash had insisted the three of you drive to the city to meet with Shorter (which was fine with you). Ash’s pace grew faster, “Keep walking. Don’t look back.”

Before Eiji or you could say anything he ducked into a crowd and disappeared.

“C’mon,” he took your hand and pulled you into the same alleyway he had noticed Ash go into.

He was sitting on top of a man, holding his head up by his hair.

“We’ll take it from here.”

Shorter; you could recognize his voice in an instant.

“Haven’t lost your touch, eh? Great to have you back, Ash.”

The young man was begging to not be killed and you watched him, with wide eyes, get dragged away by two other men.

“Let him go after he talks.” That surprised you, especially coming from Ash.

Shorter pouted, “Still acting like the good saint? When will you-”

“I’m just saying he isn’t worth killing. It’ll just make more trouble,” the reasoning seemed pragmatic to you.

“Why not? Let’s settle it once and for all. Arthur thinks he’s some big shot now. Gotta stop him,” Shorter crossed his arms and smirked.

“Do you know what happened to Griff’s body?”

The three of you shrugged. Eiji spoke, “Nobody came to pick it up. So it is still at the coroner.”

“Now that I’m on the run, he’ll be chucked in a public grave, huh,” Ash shook his head slightly and cleared his throat, “You back out now, Shorter. I’ll settle this myself.”

“The hell I will! You can’t do anything alone.”

“This is my problem. It doesn’t concern you.”

“You dumbass!” Shorter pulled his hands out of his pockets and thumped them against his chest. You noticed Eiji flinch, “It's my problem too. Arthur’s killed enough of my guys already. If you go alone, you’ll just be killed. You’ll die for nothing. You won’t get revenge for the guys, or Skip.”

Your eyes flickered between the two of them. Something you picked up on was how much Shorter talks with his hands… it was kind of endearing.

“Fine,” Ash’s hard expression softened and he let out a huff of air, then extended his hand, “Let’s do this together, Shorter.”

They began to do some sort of elaborate handshake and you almost laughed when you saw how entranced Eiji was by it.

“That’s the spirit,” Shorter laughed, “I’ve got to get in my bit of action,” he swiped his thumb across his nose, “We need somewhere quiet to figure out a plan. The cops are lounging around at my place. So is Ibe.”

Eiji looked at his feet sheepishly while you kept eye contact with Shorter’s jacket.

“I heard what you did, you two. My sis told me all about it.”

“Sis? She is your big sister?” His brows rose slightly; it was a bit of a surprise to you as well, Nadia and Shorter didn’t look that similar.

“Yeah, so what? You’re the one that started this and that’s all you can say?”

Eiji kept staring at the ground as he walked. Shorter walked next to you and slapped your shoulder gently, “Hey, kid.”

“You keep calling me that.” When he was close like this you noticed how tall he was compared to you; it made you _feel_ like a kid.

“‘Cause you are one.”

“I am not.”

“Bah," he waved his hand dismissively at you before speaking again, "Plus, your reactions are kinda cute.”

“Oh,” you felt your cheeks getting hotter: It seemed like every time the two of you met, Shorter tried to get a rise out of you.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woohooooo, we are slowly making our way. Oh, by the way, I write drafts on google drive and I have over 50 chapters for this story, there's probably gonna be more lmao. I'm just preparing you for the amount of time it's gonna take to get to the end (which might be a while).

“Eiji, (y/n), go back to Ibe. He’s worried about you.”

“I will probably worry him even more. I can’t do anything, and I might get in your way. But if I leave now, I will never forgive myself. I used to be a pole jumper back in Japan.”

He was an amazing pole jumper. You had seen him jump 16-foot walls with no trouble. But there had been an accident.

“Really? Who’d have thought,” Shorter murmured to himself.

“I saw him. He saved my life with it. And, I imagine (y/n) has seen him do it plenty of times.”

You nodded wordlessly.

“You don’t talk much, huh?” Ash tilted his head at you.

“I guess not,” you mumbled.

Eiji hadn’t finished so you turned your attention back to him, as did the others.

“But I can not jump anymore.”

“Of course you can. You did. Skip and I saw you.”

“Not like that. As an athlete. Ibe saw how depressed I was and brought me with him here. So I do not t want to quit anymore. I want to see the end with my own eyes.”

“So we’ve all got our reasons… except you,” Shorter pointed at you, “How come you came with Eiji?”

The thought of getting into your past with Ash scared you. You trusted Shorter enough and definitely trusted Eiji… but not Ash. And Eiji already knew: He was there for it and he had been there for you. So you want to be there for him.

“It is my birthday in four days. It was a coincidence the trip was during the same week but Eiji offered anyway. We are childhood friends.”

“That’s it? There’s no other reason you wanna stay with him?” Shorter poked at your side and winked.

“No… I just… want to be there for him, is all.”

To be honest, you felt like you owed him for all those years of him protecting you. You had no idea how you could pay off a debt that lasted his whole life, though.

“Now we all have our reasons. It’s all up to you, Ash.”

______________________________________________________________________

“Yo, can you wake (y/n) up?” Ash yawned and pulled his revolver out, he gave it a once-over and put it back in the waistband of his jeans.

“Yeah, I got it," Shorter scratched his head, "You gonna be waking me up this early every day?"

He scoffed and shook his head, then handed Shorter a semi-automatic handgun, “Give her this.”

“You want me to give (y/n) a gun?” He deadpanned. The idea seemed odd… and imagining you with a gun was _really_ weird.

“I can’t bust my ass protecting her and neither can you. The same goes for Eiji.”

“Fair point,” he tucked the gun into his pants, “Have you seen my jacket? I don’t remember where I put it.”

“It’s in the living room,” Ash snorted, “Losing your memory already, old man?”

“Shut up, kid,” he smiled and waved Ash away. The jacket could wait until after he woke you up.

Shorter opened the thin screen door and closed it gently. He sat down on the edge of your bed and hung his head to the side, then took off his sunglasses. You were sprawled out like a damn starfish, the sheets were wrapped around your ankles; you must move around a lot when you sleep.

Your dark hair was spread on the pillows and he reached out and twisted a strand between his fingers. He pulled his hand away quickly and grimaced, "What the hell am I thinking?" He muttered. Quickly, he focused his attention on waking you up. Knowing Ash, Eiji was probably already _wide_ awake...

“(Y/n). Hey." Absolutely nothing. He tried to raise his voice a bit, "Wake up, (y/n).” Shorter chuckled softly. "A heavy sleeper _and_ you move around a lot? You must be such a handful," he rested his hand on your thin shoulder and shook you.

Your eyes drifted open and you rubbed them, “Shorter,” you smiled, “Good morning.”

“‘Morning.”

You scooted back and sat up. When your eyes found their way back to his your's widened, “Oh…”

“What? Something on my face?”

“No. You are not wearing those glasses,” you leaned forward slightly, “You have pretty eyes.”

It was his turn to say, “Oh…”

“Can I ask you something, Shorter?” You slid your knees underneath your thighs and kneeled so you were almost eye-level with him.

“Yeah?” He scooted forward, expecting you to ask some deep, personal question.

“Why did you choose to dye your hair like that?”

“‘Cause I like it," he tilted his head, "Why?"

“I think it looks good on you. It is unique.”

“You’re awfully chatty this morning, kiddo,” he tousled your hair, trying to play off the embarrassment he was feeling from your compliments, “Is my interrogation over now?”

Red crept up your neck, "I... I was wondering," you laughed giddily, "Can I touch your hair?"

Shorter laughed and his eyes flitted away from your gaze, "Sure..."

With reluctance, you kneeled up and reached forward. Gently, you ran your fingers through his hair. A shiver ran down Shorter's spine and he bit his lip to keep from grinning. You simpered, "It's soft." It was over as soon as it started and you let your hand drop back into your lap. He felt his ears get hotter and he clasped his hands together in his lap.

It seemed fair that he could ask you something now. "Well, I have a question for you, (y/n)."

“Yes?” You sat back on your haunches.

“Why’re you so quiet around Ash?”

“I do not mind that he favors Eiji. I can tell he does," your smile slipped, "I feel like he hates me. I do not understand why.” 

God, you were looking at him with those big, curious eyes. He cracked just a bit, “I'll tell you something, but you have to keep it a secret.”

“I promise.”

For some reason, that was enough for him. “You... remind him of himself in a way. If things had gone differently for him,” he scrunched his brow and lowered his voice, “He acts like he doesn't care but... he just doesn't want you to get hurt.”

It was obvious he wouldn’t say anything more and that was enough information for you. “Thank you for telling me that,” you pretended to zip your lips closed, “I will not tell a soul,” you smiled sweetly.

“Good. Oh, yeah! I’ve got something for ya,” he pulled the gun out of his waistband and handed it to you, grip first.

“Why a gun?” You took it. The way you were gripping it was awkward.

“The safety’s on. Don’t worry.”

“Safety?”

“Look,” he took the handgun, “This is the safety,” he pushed the button down, “See? Now you can fire it. When it’s up it won’t shoot but when it’s down it will. So be careful.”

You flipped the safety back on and held it so tightly your knuckles turned a creamy white color. You pulled the trigger and it clicked.

“It’s automatic so all you gotta do is turn the safety off and pull the trigger.”

“Shorter, do you think I will have to kill someone?” You placed the gun on the mattress, between the two of you.

“I can’t say anything for certain. I don’t wanna scare you, (y/n), but you might have to if you don’t wanna get hurt.”

“Did you grow up like this? Always worried about losing your life?” Your voice sounded wobbly like you were going to cry. Did you really feel that much pity for him?

He traced the outline of the gun with his finger, “It’s just something you get used too.”

“Maybe you will not have to in the future,” a small hand rested on top of his and his breath caught in his throat.

This felt... different. It was too soon to tell if this was _anything_ but this felt real. A real connection. It was nice but... you were acting how you acted with Eiji, so there couldn’t be any other motive: Just friends.

Shorter looked down, smiling slightly, "C'mon. Ash is gonna explain what the plan is after breakfast."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is off-topic but the song Goddamn by Tyga is literally the catchiest song I have heard all week. If you like rap I really recommend it lmao.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added one line in chapter 14 because I didn't like the way it transitioned to this all the sudden. Oh, and it's another short one before we get to the action-y scene.

“Club Cod?” You scooted forward on the banister and rested your elbows on your thighs.

“A seafood restaurant.”

“Golzine goes out for seafood?” Shorter crossed his arms.

“They don’t only serve seafood. They sell people: Kids,” Ash eyebrows furrowed and his scowl deepened.

“Kids?” Eiji reeled back slightly at the thought; it grossed you out too.

“The place is run by Dino. It’s a secret club in his taste with a good profit. Like I said; the merchandise is kids. Most customers are distinguished people, and that way, Dino has control over these people. He catches runaways like me to sell off. The kids are drugged so they can’t run and only live a few years. And so the secret is safe.”

“That is horrible,” you shook your head.

“And he’ll be there?” Shorter said.

Ash nodded, “Every 15th of the month.”

“It looks like a plain restaurant,” you watched people file through the front doors.

“It looks like that so it doesn’t arouse suspicion. He only brings a small number of men with him. He doesn’t wanna scare off his customers.”

“So that’s why you chose today.” Eiji turned to him.

“I wish I didn’t have to ask Lee for his help, though.”

“But he doesn’t like Golzine. That means he’s on our side, right?” Eiji asked.

“He’s not that naive. He’s just interested in what came between the old man and me. He knows all about what went on.”

Lee: The name didn't sound familiar. You could always ask Shorter later, though.

______________________________________________________________________

The plan was that you, Eiji, and Shorter would stay in the truck. Eiji had tried to get you to stay behind but you refused. You had chosen to come and you wouldn’t put in only half the effort. Ash would get on top of the truck and get Dino; he was a great shot. You had seen that from when he shot that guard in the car when it was driving away with you, Eiji, and Skip.

After seeing Ash's signal, Shorter drove up. You were squeezed in the middle of him and Eiji. He looked between you and him, "You two ready?" You nodded without hesitation; Eiji did the same. He acknowledged your responses with a nod of his own before beginning to drive towards Club Cob.


	16. Chapter 16

The truck was barreling down the road, straight for the restaurant. Adrenaline seemed to be coursing through you as you clutched the dashboard, keeping yourself steady. You leaned forward and peered out of the window. A large man, surrounded by bodyguards in suits, was just getting out of a long, black limousine. He held a cane in one hand, eyes growing wide as the truck came closer.

Shorter forced his foot down on the pedal harder and the truck lurched, causing you and Eiji to violently jerk forward. Shots rang out and the bodyguards suddenly dropped to their knees, blood spattering their clothes; definitely the work of Ash.

Dino shouted, possibly at Ash or his lifeless guards, and then was struck down by an unsteady shot. He dropped the cane and held his wounded shoulder, blood seeping into the fabric of his suit. You heard something thud against the top of the truck and it wasn't hard to guess who had fallen over. Shorter glanced out of the window, trying to see if Ash had tumbled over the side of the truck. Seeing nothing, he flickered his eyes forward and you saw his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as more bodyguards appeared. “Damnit!” He ducked and you and Eiji mimicked him. A few shots cracked the glass.

He was barely looking at where he was driving, occasionally lifting his head, only to duck back down when there was another barrage of gunshots and cracking glass. You peeled your eyes open and saw that he was headed towards the bay; the fear of accidentally driving into the water _almost_ had you grabbing the steering wheel. Shorter beat you to it and veered to the right, running over the wooden benches that overlooked the water. You dug your nails into the dashboard until it felt like they were going split and tucked your head down just as the truck crashed into the side of a building. Eiji slammed into you, causing you to be crushed into Shorter’s shoulder, which was harder and way more painful than you expected. If Ash hadn't fallen off yet, he surely would now.

A heavy thump caused you to lift your head, "Shit,” he groaned and lifted his head. There was a gash near Shorter's hairline and blood trickled down his face. You grabbed his arm, trying to see how bad it was. “Just... just a scratch," he drawled out his words and brushed you off. The way he blinked suggested that his vision was foggy and it was easy to imagine how dizzy he must've been after hitting his head so hard.

The truck door was wrenched open on Eiji’s side and one of Golzine's men was revealed. Eiji fumbled with the gun and finally aimed it. The man's face twisted up into a smile: Eiji's hands were trembling. His teeth audibly clicked together as he clenched the weapon tighter: It was obvious he had no intention of firing.

Why wouldn't he shoot, though? 

The man placed his foot on the truck’s side, unsteadily clambering his way towards Eiji, knife in hand. That smile was stuck on his face. He could _tell_... 

Why wouldn’t he shoot?!

"Shoot!" You yelled, trying to get him to snap out of it; but he was paralyzed, frozen in place. The only thing he could do was hold the gun and watch in absolute horror as the blade of the knife came closer.

The man leaped in, shouting as he did. But then, it ceased: The piercing shot reverberated inside of the cab of the truck and you flinched: Shorter's head was probably spinning by now. A soft grunt caught your attention and you opened your eyes. The man fell back, blood spreading through the front of his shirt. You unwrapped your hands from Eiji’s gun and brought them up to your face. “I… he’s…” Eiji sputtered, turned around, and stared at you; stunned.

“Eiji,” your voice cracked and you covered your hand with your mouth. You felt sick. It didn't help that Shorter’s eyes were glued to the gun in your hand: His expression seemed to convey shock but your mind was racing and all rational thoughts failed you. He was probably _disgusted_ , right? “Oh,” you could barely get a word out. As much as you tried to fight it, your eyes welled up; you squeezed them shut.

“We have to get out now!” Shorter pushed on your back lightly. Eiji jumped out, carefully avoiding the corpse _you_ had created. Mindlessly, you took Shorter’s wrist and helped him out. He hissed through his teeth and grabbed his forehead with his free hand.

"Shorter?" You held onto his arm tightly, hoping he didn't topple over: The idea of him having a concussion didn't seem too far off.

"I'm fine. We've gotta get the hell out of here, though," he dropped his hand back down to his side and you let go of his arm, but not before giving him another once-over to make sure he could stand straight.

“Eiji! (y/n)!” It was shocking to see Ibe. It was especially shocking to see him run so fast. And alongside him, there was another man: He was paler and stockier than Ibe.

“Ibe?" Despite the chaos surrounding him, Eiji's eyes lit up.

“Are you okay? What have you gotten yourselves into?!” Even in an insanely stressful, not to mention, dangerous situation, Ibe still managed to sound like a disappointed father. He glanced at the gun in your hand and then, the body, “What... what happened?”

The other man shouted and you could hear him over the sounds of gunfire, “Ash, the river!”

“Run!” Shorter snatched your hand and dragged you towards the water.

He was much faster and you struggled to keep up, occasionally stumbling. More of Dino's bodyguards rushed the five of you. Shorter stepped up on one of the metal rungs and pulled you with him as he jumped over the metal railing. He pulled your body closer to his and your face was buried into his chest, then curled his arm around your waist, making sure you didn't stray away from him mid-air. He was the last bit of warmth you felt before the cold water surrounded you; it felt like a million pins were stabbing you repeatedly until it all went numb.

______________________________________________________________________

Somebody was dragging your limp body up something rough; it felt like concrete against your fingertips. As you sat up slowly, you could've sworn there were bricks on top of your chest, weighing you down. “Yo, you okay?” Shorter was leaning over you, water dripping from the tips of his hair onto your face. Lazily, you nodded. He smiled slightly and then stepped away from you before shaking out his hair and whining, “Ew, this smells _horrible_."

When you looked around, you saw Eiji laying on the ground, eyes closed. He almost looked peaceful. “Eiji,” you rasped his name and dragged yourself towards him, “He did not get you?”

He rolled onto his back so he could look at you, “You... shot him,” his eyes drifted shut.

“He would have killed you.” What you had said was in vain, though. Eiji passed out and didn’t hear.

Eiji was right: You _killed_ someone and it still made you still felt nauseous. What was the alternative? Have Eiji die or get injured because he couldn't pull the trigger himself? No. You could live with yourself, you could deal with the nagging feeling in your gut. If Eiji was scared, then so be it: You would keep him safe until he could defend himself. It was the least you could do for him, especially after all those years.

Ibe sat near Eiji, making sure he was okay. He frowned at you, “Feel alright?" It was a small attempt at comfort that you appreciated but didn't want right now; save it for Eiji.

“Fine,” you stood up and forced your legs to be steady as you headed in Ash's direction. If anyone had it bad, it was him. Now, it was obvious why he had fallen off the truck; someone had shot him while he was aiming for Golzine. It also didn't help that the driver was a little... chaotic, to say the least. You crouched down next to him and lowered your voice, "Do not worry."

Ash looked at you then back at Eiji, he had this look in his eyes... gratitude. Just as you were about to stand up, Ash nodded and you understand what he was saying by it: _Thank you_. A few moments passed and he sighed as he stood up, “We’ve got to get out of here.”

“Hey! Where are you going?” The stocky man shouted at him as he began to walk away, “Are you crazy?” He gestured at Ash's injured shoulder.

“Shut up. It’s none of your business."

The sound of a fist against skin startled you. Ash was out cold.

“You’ve caused enough trouble for today, you little punk,” he slung him over his shoulder and beckoned the rest of you to follow him, "I've got a place we can rest up," then tilted his head in Ash's direction, "And hopefully get this smartass's wound stitched up before he runs away again."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this is short, (sorry) i have some action-y stuff coming up because of what happens in Cape Cod, though.

“He’s gonna be okay, right?” You peered over Max’s shoulder. He was stitching the gash on Shorter's forehead up and you were in awe; he didn't even seem bothered by the needle. Max nodded in response and grabbed a small piece of gauze to wipe the blood beginning to seep out of the wound. You grimaced. 

Shorter glanced over his shoulder and smiled, “It’s just some stitches." Max grunted in frustration at Shorter's movement and adjusted his head back to the previous angle it had been in before he moved.

"Does your head hurt still?" You scooted closer to him, eyes wide as you looked at him curiously.

Again, Shorter turned towards you, "I'm feeling pretty good, actually." Max paused and took a long, deep breath before continuing his actions.

Apparently, the man you hadn't recognized had been with Ash when he was in prison and knew Ash’s older brother. And from what Ibe said, he was trustworthy. A soft, pained groan caught your attention and you glanced in the direction of the sound. A tired-looking Ash sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes with the ball of his palms, then his eyes dropped to the bandage wrapped around his chest. He touched it and slid his hand up to his shoulder. A deep scowl spread across his face at the sharp pain he felt in his shoulder.

“You up?” Max asked.

“Hey, Ash,” Shorter spoke cheerfully and oddly cheerful considering the circumstances. His half-smile was stuck on his face.

“What is this place?" Ash started to get up, he gripped his shoulder tightly as he did.

“It’s my hideout," he replied, then spoke to Shorter, "This is going to sting," he turned his attention back to Ash, "I wanted to leave today as planned.”

Ash's brows furrowed, “Leave?”

“To Cape Cod. Where you and Griff grew up.”

“Why?”

“For the pictures and letters Griff left. Nobody else knows this “Banana Fish"... there might be clues," he sighed and continued to dab Shorter's wound with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. "It's worth a shot."

Ash nodded slightly and walked toward the stairs, where Eiji was sleeping. He returned after a minute or so and looked around. Max was washing his hands, Shorter and you were chatting idly. “We’re leaving as soon as the sun goes down. Get some rest. All of you,” just as Ash was done speaking, he began to walk towards the door that led to the roof, holding his shoulder. To you, he didn't seem like he was ready to head out; shouldn't he be resting?

Ibe hurried downstairs after Ash had gone out the door, “What if he ends up doing something crazy again?” 

“He won’t. He wants to know what “Banana Fish” is too much," Max dried his hands.

“He didn’t seem to want to go home,” Shorter scooted a bit closer to you and rested his chin on his knee. He caught you idly looking at him and shot you a little smile.

“I guess home isn’t something you want to remember if you ran away from it,” Max replied tiredly.

You pivoted slightly so you were facing Shorter, "Will Ash be alright? He... well, he was shot. He should rest."

"He won't. That's how he's always been," he explained, "I don't think anything can hold him back, especially once he's got a goal in mind," he began to stand up and he held his hand out, you took it and he pulled you up, "C'mon, you're gonna be tired if you don't get some sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to head out."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does anyone notice my little call back to chapter 14?
> 
> and im guess that shorter is 23 because i just _think_ he is. some people think he's in his TEENS. like, no, bitch, i refuse to believe that. he looks like a whole man, not a 17 year old. ash met shorter when he was 14, right? from shorter's looks in the manga, he looks to be about 17-19 years old when he was in juvie, so 3+19 is 22 and im adding 1 more year because im unsure.

Your ideal way of waking up was in bed, at your own pace. Not by Ash whipping the curtains open and sunlight bursting into the back of the truck. “Get up." The sound of waves, wind, birds, and Ash's scolding woke you, but you kept your eyes closed, trying to go back to sleep. Of course, he didn't let up, "I said, get up!" Ash kicked the back of the truck and you felt the metal vibrate.

There wasn’t a lot of room in the back and you volunteered to squeeze between Shorter and Ibe because you were the smallest of the three. You turned around so you were laying on your back and then sat up. You couldn't help but shoot him a glare and, without hesitating, Ash rolled his eyes at you. You glanced to the right because you felt someone's elbow digging into your thigh, Shorter was sprawled out and you frowned; he had been taking up a lot of your space last night and now you actually _saw_ why. He almost looked like a starfish... "Hey," you murmured softly and poked his side.

He stirred and pulled off his sunglasses, which were practically falling off his face. A sleepy smile spread across his face, "Hi," he drawled out the word and then shut his eyes again.

"Wake your lazy asses up!” Ash kicked the truck again.

That seemed to wake Shorter up. “My lazy ass hurts,” he whined, voice thick with sleep.

“We’re here. Get out of the truck," then he walked away from the curtains, they shut slightly and Shorter yawned loudly, then sat up.

"How'd you sleep?" He questioned.

A smirk played upon your lips and you bit your lip to keep from grinning, "I would have slept better if you were not moving around so much."

Shorter's eyebrows rose and he scoffed, "You're one to talk."

Slowly, everyone began to wake up, yawning and hesitating to stand. After everyone had woken up fully, the four of you hopped out of the truck and rubbed their eyes, trying to adjust to the bright sunlight. The first thing that you really noticed was how salty the air smelled. The sound of water crashing caught your attention and you jogged to the edge of the hill where a wooden railing was built. “Woah,” you gasped and leaned against the railing, it creaked slightly and moved forward as you put more pressure against it. The water was _gorgeous_ : Dark blue, a bit of light blue, and a touch of white foam near the shore. It all blended together beautifully and you could just barely see a touch of aqua green in the deepest areas of the water. 

“What a nice place,” Eiji was by Ash, who was by the truck, but you could just barely hear his words. You looked behind you and saw him blocking his eyes from the sun and scanning the rest of the area.

“Hard to believe this place is only 500 kilometers from New York,” Shorter leaned against the railing and turned his head towards you; you smiled instantly, “Still just wanna see everything in New York or have you decided to expand?”

“I wish I could live in America for a year... I want to see everything.”

“So,” he nudged your side, “Your birthday’s tomorrow. Excited?”

You faced him and smiled sweetly, “Mhm. I am glad I will be spending here. It is so beautiful.”

“You don't want to be home celebrating with your family?”

Your face dropped for just a moment, then you forced a bright look back onto your face, “I am glad I came."

“So, how old are ya turning?”

“18.”

“So you _are_ a kid,” he chuckled.

You deadpanned, "Maybe, I will just start calling you old. How old are you, then?”

He hopped up on the fence and the gripped the wood tightly because it shook. After he regained his balance, he spoke, “23 isn't _that_ old," he switched subjects, "What do you want for your birthday, then?”

A bashful look crossed your face and you glanced down at the sand, "I want to swim in the water."

The next words he said surprised you, "That would be fun," he hopped off the fence and dusted his hands off, "Let's do it."

"Really?"

"Hell yeah," he grinned and began to wrap his arm around your shoulders but stopped midway at the sound of Max's voice calling over the waves.

“(Y/n), Shorter. C’mon!” Max waved the two of you down.

The two of you caught up the group and Shorter spoke first, "So, where are we going?"

“Ash’s house," Max replied.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like that mood music shit, I suggest God's House (indie type/almost r&b) by JGrrey or Angeldust by pink cig (sad rap type beat like lil peep). They both had that melancholy, yet chill vibe i was going for during *the scene*. I was feeling it. i don't want to spoil what happens, you'll know what i mean by *the scene* (between reader and Shorter) when you get to it.
> 
> when it's in Shorter's perspective, i switched the 'you' to 'she' or '(y/n)' as i progressed into his thoughts cuz i was tryna blend it so it didnt seem sudden and awkward; just wanted to clarify.

You had considered asking Ash if he was alright; it seemed odd that he was unaffected by his father's cruel words. Nobody had questioned him, though. It didn't help that a fearful feeling was settling inside your gut; what if he didn't want to talk about it and became angry with you? Idly, you ran your thumb along the frame of a picture of Ash as a child, wearing a baseball uniform, standing next to Griff with a wide smile; he looked so... happy. It was a stark difference from how he looked now; intense, angry. It didn't surprise you that he had changed so much, considering his past.

Everyone was in Griff's old room, searching. You broke out of your daze and placed the picture down. Before you did, Ash appeared beside you and snatched the picture out of your hand, he stared at it for a few moments. His gaze hardened and his upper lip curled in disgust. He narrowed his eyes, then swiped his thumb over Griff's face aggressively, "He used to help me practice," he muttered.

Eiji always liked a comforting touch. Ash and Eiji were very different, but at that moment, you had a stupid, impulsive idea. Tentatively, you rested your hand on Ash's shoulder, trying to be comforting in a way that you knew. And, right as you did it, you regretted it. A million thoughts ran through your head and you were anxious about how he would react. He set the picture down and glanced at you. He gave you an odd look before shrugging your hand away and muttering a happy birthday as he strolled over to Max. Despite the fact that your birthday was _tomorrow_ , you appreciated the sentiment and took it as a good sign.

“Look!” Eiji's voice pierced the silence and everyone rushed around him, he held out the picture and jammed his finger into the guy's face, “He is the man who shot Ash’s brother."

Max pushed past everyone gave the picture a quick look, "You're absolutely sure?

Eiji nodded and you backed him up, "Yes, I remember his face too."

He scratched his chin and looked at all the other faces in the picture, all of them wore army fatigues and had dog tags hanging loosely around their necks, “This is the unit Griff was in before we met. See?" Max pointed at the tags, “The tags are different," his eyes lit up and then he began to rustle through a pile of books, "Where’s the list of names?" As soon as he found it, he practically ran back to the small circle of people despite it only being less than a foot away from where he was standing, "Here it is!" Then ran his thumb down the list of names, trying to match them up, "He lives in Los Angeles, California. 102, 42 Westwood. That’s the address Steven Thompson said before he died."

“Yeah,” Ash pulled out his phone, “There’s nothing on him on the net.”

Max shrugged, “I guess we’ll have to go there and find out. Plus, Golzine doesn’t have any men in the west.”

Shorter bit his lip as he spoke, “L.A, huh? That's pretty damn far.”

Eiji and you met each other's gaze and instantly you knew he was thinking the same thing: Would Ibe back out? The two of you stared at Ibe, wide-eyed and silently pleading with him. He rose his hands in surrender, "I won’t back at now,” he managed a weak smile, “Too risky to go back to Manhattan anyway.”

Max sunk into a creaky, wooden chair and frowned deeply, “I wish we could leave tomorrow, but the truck needs fixing and you all need rest. I’m sure Golzine won’t find us here that quickly.”

“We need to leave now. If we want to corner Dino, we have to find that man.”

“Come on, we'll find him, Ash.” His shoulder drooped as he sighed tiredly, “Some of us here are old, you know? Besides, your shoulder hasn’t healed yet.”

Ash groaned and shook his head, obviously exasperated, “This why I hate old guys. If you can’t keep up, don’t come,” he stomped towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Max called after him.

“To get blankets from the truck," the harsh edge to his voice softened as he addressed Eiji, "Help me out, Eiji.”

Shorter gave you a playfully wary look and then stood up, he extended a hand, you took it and he pulled you up. Reluctantly, you let your hand drop back down to your side, the warmth of his palm was still lingering on your own. A few seconds of you just smiling like an idiot past and he laughed nervously, "I'm gonna go help."

"Okay," you nodded and he spun around and followed Eiji out the door; you tried to be inconspicuous about it, but you watched him walk away.

Ibe spoke to Max and you, "I'm going to check what's upstairs," and descended up the staircase.

You made a beeline for the kitchen; the view was incredible but you couldn't take the time to look while everyone was searching for clues about that man's identity. It was almost just as beautiful as the view on top of that hill, except it was a lot grassier. The grass swayed in the wind and it didn't take long for you to be completely enraptured by it. So enraptured that you didn't hear Max enter the room as well. When he appeared beside you, two glasses in hand, you practically jumped out of your skin.

"Oops, didn't mean to sneak up on you," he cracked a sympathetic smile and gestured towards you with one of the cups in his hands, "Want some water?"

The two of you had never interacted much, there was never really a chance anyway. He would drive the truck with Ash while Ibe, Shorter, Eiji, and you were in the back. Plus, you were a bit wary of him, even after Eiji explained who he was. "Yes, sure." He smiled in acknowledgment and began to fill up a glass with cold water, he handed it to you and you took a sip. He filled up the other glass and you guessed that it was for him. "Thank you," you said after taking another small drink.

"No problem." The only sounds filling in the silence was Ibe loudly walking around upstairs and the two of you drinking. Then, Max spoke up, "You're a bit of a mystery. I know Shorter, Ash, and even Eiji more than I know you."

"Oh? Are you curious?"

He let out a breathy laugh, "A bit. I guess you could say it's in my nature, though."

"Hm?" You hopped up onto a dusty, wooden table and set the glass down next to you, "What do you mean?"

"I am... was, a journalist. It kind of fizzled out once I was arrested, though," his eyes dropped to the floor, but he shook his head slightly and then faced you, "How come you came with Eiji? Didn't you know it would be dangerous?"

A bitter smile spread across your face and you tucked one of your legs underneath you, "Ash made sure I knew. He... did not want me to come, actually."

"And you came anyway?"

"I would rather be with Eiji than worry about him constantly back in Japan."

He nodded and the quiet began to take over again. You lifted your eyes away from the wet ring forming around the glass and glanced at Max, he had a contemplative look on his face as he stared at you. You averted your eyes rather quickly and silently cursed yourself for being awkward. "Can I give you some advice?"

"Of course. It might be helpful, actually," you smiled.

"I... wouldn't get involved with Shor-those boys."

Your smile faded. "I... what?"

The look on his face was painfully awkward and you wondered what was running through his head at this point. "I mean... as friends, that's fine. But... here's the thing," he became increasingly more flustered as he tried to construct his sentence, "They're nice... uh, well, you'll have to go back home eventually and getting too attached might... hurt." A look of relief washed over his face as he finally got the words out.

Your face was red hot, "I was not..." Jesus, this conversation was getting more uncomfortable by the minute.

"I just think it might not be a great idea to get attached. But, feel free to ignore my advice." He shrugged, looking equally as uncomfortable.

"Oh," you brushed your hair away from your face and took a big gulp of water to calm your nerves.

"(Y/n)! I need a hand... these blankets are heavy as shit," you heard Shorter huffing through his words and you jumped up immediately, thankful for the quick exit.

"Coming!"

You jogged past Max and hurried into the living room. Shorter had a bunch of blankets in his arms and he took a few steps closer to you. "Here," he couched down a bit so you could grab a couple of them out of his arms, "Mind laying a few of them out for me?"

Without hesitating, you went straight to work. The thickest ones went on the bottom and so on; it was hot in the house so you assumed most people wouldn't need more than a sheet or thin blanket to keep themselves warm tonight. Ibe walked downstairs and looked around, "Where's Eiji and Ash?"

"They just went for a walk. Apparently, the sunsets down here are pretty cool." Upon hearing that, you craned your head to peek out the window, the sky was slowly turning light pink, mixed with some oranges and yellows. Pretty. "Heads up," Shorter tossed another blanket at you and you began to spread it out on the floor. "Oh, and we're going to the diner for breakfast tomorrow."

"Ash is fine with that?" Max leaned against the doorway that led to the kitchen, glass of water still in hand.

Shorter paused and his eyebrows pinched together as if he was remembering something. He shrugged. "Didn't seem bothered by it." Max and Ibe eventually cleared out, saying that they had to take a quick look at the truck before it was too dark. Once all the blankets were set up, Shorter yawned and stretched his arms high above his head, then focused on you. "I recommend taking a nap, kiddo." Before you had the chance to complain about the nickname he held his finger up, "Nuh-uh, I still have a few hours left."

You crossed your arms over your chest, "Why should I?"

The snicker that left his mouth made the hair on the back of your neck stand up... he sounded he had some sort of secret evil plan, "It's a surprise. So get some rest."

The last thing you remembered before falling asleep was everyone coming back into the living room. It didn't bother you that much and you still managed to rest a bit. The way you woke up was less graceful. The first thing you felt when you drifted awake was someone shaking your shoulder slightly. Your first instinct was to shoot up and you did just that, almost succeeding in knocking Shorter in the chin with your shoulder. Your cleared your throat quietly and looked at him with sleepy eyes, "What time is it?" You dug the balls of your palms into your eyes, trying to get rid of the bleariness in them.

He shook his head and pressed a finger to your lips, then scooted closer to you, his voice was low and you could feel his breath tickling part of your neck and ear, "It's 12 in the morning... do you wanna see something?"

It was tempting... and now that he gave you such a fright, you weren't exactly tired anymore. You nodded wordlessly and allowed yourself to be pulled up, he held your hand and you stepped in the places he did. Eiji and Ash were laying next to you, snoring softly and splayed out across the floor. Once the two of you had managed to get outside without any complications, he grabbed your shoes and placed them in front of you, "Did you plan this?" You whispered.

"Of course," he shot you a knowing smile as you began to put them on and once you finished, he took your hand again, "It's a _little_ bit of a hike from here..."

"I do not mind," on impulse, you squeezed his hand lightly, "Even at night, it is beautiful."

You walked alongside him and he led the way. The two of you looked up at the pitch-black sky and you were marveling at how bright the stars were, "Hm, you can see the Big Dipper," he was squinting up at the sky like he was having trouble seeing, probably because of those damned sunglasses.

"What is that?"

He pointed at the sky and slowed down his pace as he tried to point it out, "It looks like a big ladle," he gestured to the right of the moon with his finger, "Look a bit to the right, can you see it?"

"Uh-huh," you found ladle shape he was talking about. Everything about this was taking your breath away: The crisp, warm air, the gentle breeze that would push your hair into your face, the firm grip he had on your hand; it was undeniably blissful. "So, where are we going?"

"Somewhere cool."

Why did this remind you of some cliche horror movie scene? "Are you going to kill me?"

Shorter barked out laughter and all the crickets stopped chirping, startled by the sudden noise. He coughed after calming down from his small laughing fit and then ran his free hand through his hair, "I would _never_." A few seconds went by and then he chuckled weakly again, "You're funny," he sighed and his shoulders drooped, then rose as he inhaled deeply. Suddenly, he straightened up and his pace quickened... until he stopped. "We have to go down here."

From what the dull moonlight made visible, you could see a small staircase that led to a patch of sand. It was a quicker way to get closer to the water than walking all the way down the hills. "It looks rickety," you noted audibly.

"I got you," he pulled his phone and turned the flashlight setting on, illuminating the stairs better. Slowly, the two of you began to make your way down. Your shoes sunk into the soft sand as you touched the ground and Shorter turned off the flashlight and put his phone away, "Can you close your eyes?"

You spun around, simpered, and giggled softly, "Sounds sketchy."

"Please?" He pouted and you immediately gave in and shut your eyes. "I'm just gonna do this so you don't get any ideas," he placed a hand across your eyes and you bit the inside of your cheek, feeling irritated but in an playful sort of way. "Walk forward, okay?" You followed his instructions and allowed him to guide you forward, each time you stepped you kicked up sand into the back of your own shoes. The gentle sound of crashing waves came closer and you could taste the salt in the air each time you took a deep breath: It wasn't hard to guess where the two of you were. The wind whipped your hair around but it wasn't cold, just nice. "Okay." His hand dropped to your shoulder and you cracked your eyes open.

Yes, you had seen the beaches in Japan. It _was_ an island after all. But this... this was special. The waves weren't as rough as this afternoon, it was calmer and there was less foam near the shoreline. The water was dark, almost black-looking, but the deeper parts of water displayed a bit of blue because of the moonlight spreading across the horizon. It seemed like an odd coincidence that the moon was pretty much full and you were thankful; it would've been harder to get here. And the air... it was so refreshing and salty! Your mind had never felt so clear and you had never felt so _alive_.

All the memories, bad feelings, guilt, stress... gone.

"Oh," you almost felt like crying.

He sounded nervous as he spoke, mumbling softly, "I... well... I know you'd rather be home. I mean, anyone would want that, celebrating with their family. I just hope I made it, er, special. It's whatever you want, you know?"

You spun around and wrapped him in a tight hug, burying your face into his sweatshirt. He huffed as you did and placed his hand on your upper back, patting softly, "Thanks, Shorter."

"Ah, you know," you could feel him shrug against you, "Happy birthday."

Instead of responding, you pulled away and pulled your shoes and socks off, then rolled your pants up to your calves. Shorter began to take off his shoes as well and right as he finished you gripped his wrist, pulling him towards the shoreline. The damp sand felt cool underneath your feet and you sighed softly, waiting for the swell of water to submerge your feet in water. It was cold like you expected. Shorter was just getting his feet wet and you bit your lip as you kicked a little splash of water at his leg. "Oops."

He had pushed his sunglasses up and rested them above his head, near his hairline. He rolled his eyes, "After all I've done for you? I feel betrayed," he spoke with faux hurt and clutched his chest. You were laughing and, of course, weren't paying attention; he kicked water at you, a little bit more than you had, though.

"Hey!"

It escalated to the point where your pants were soaked and one of your pant legs had fallen back down, the hem fully submerged in water. Shorter was no better and he wasn't nearly as flexible in his baggy jeans so you had even managed to dampen the lower part of his sweatshirt, either by bending over and picking up water with your cupped hands or kicking it at him. He had abandoned his sunglasses a while ago, fearing that they would fall off his face and into the water, so they were by his shoes, safe in the sand, along with his phone.

It took a few seconds for you to catch your breath and Shorter took that moment you surprise you: He splashed you directly in the face. You exclaimed, still laughing, and you stumbled back a bit, then tripped on your own feet. Shorter swore as you tumbled backward and fell ass-first into the water, you rubbed your eyes roughly and you sucked your stomach in at the feeling of the cold water around your waist. "Shit! I'm sorry!" Why did he look so nervous?

Loud, uncontrollable laughter poured out of you and you tilted your head back, clutching your stomach and gasping, occasionally sucking in a bit of air between laughs. You felt like you were going to suffocate by laughing... which wouldn't be the worst way to go. Tears pricked at the corner of your eyes and you batted your hand in his direction, laughing so hard it was silent. A small wave slapped you in the face and you managed to get yourself under control, probably because the cold. He extended a hand quickly, scoffing out how hard you had laughed. 

It honestly surprised you he didn't expect this: You yanked on his hand and pulled him forward, into the water. He almost fell on top of you but you scooched a bit so his face didn't knock you right in the head. One of his hands was squeezing your shoulder and holding onto you tightly, preventing him from falling face-first into the water. Though, it didn't work. His lifted his head, coughing and wiping his face off. Water dripped down his face and clung to his hair, you followed the water droplets down to his cheek and jaw. He was panting softly, staring at you with huge eyes, "It's so cold," he breathed out.

"Want to go up?" You took both of his hands and rubbed them together gently, trying to warm him up, small waves rocking you side to side.

"Do you want too?"

"I could use a break."

The two of you made your way back to the beach and you flopped down and laid back, the sand was sticking to your wet clothes and hair. He sat down next to you and leaned back but kept himself propped up on his elbows. "You havin' fun?"

"Yes," you looked at the stars in awe and then turned your head to face him, "I love this."

"I'm glad. I know you can't have a big cake or gifts but I wanted you to have a good memory. You're only 18 once," he laughed softly.

"I would not trade this for any of that."

In truth, all he wanted was for you to enjoy yourself before everything would inevitably go to shit. There was no way in hell this would go well; Ash getting Dino out of the picture? It was un-fucking-believable. Not that he didn't have faith in Ash, but Dino was such an oppressive force that Shorter was surprised Ash even had the drive to _try_. And he couldn't help but feel that in the end, Ash, (y/n), himself, Eiji, Ibe, and Max would be dragged down with Dino. It was how most things went... a-dog-eat-dog world was what New York was, at least for him. The thought of you and Eiji dying at the end of all of this was enough to make him want to cry: You were just silly kids, curious and ignorant, stumbling around. So, the least he could do was give you a moment of bliss before shit hits the fan. 

She was already gone... dead... killed like most of the people who try and live this type of lifestyle; dead like he would eventually be. The best thing for him was to not get too close, though, he already was, but he made up bullshit excuses for himself, "Let her be happy before she's gone..." Why did she have to come? Why did she have to make such a stupid decision? It couldn't have just been for Eiji, there must've been something else.

"Why'd you come?"

Though, Shorter was stressed, he was relaxed. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made; he was _always_ worried about something or someone. Maybe, it was something a person gets used to, especially if they feel that way constantly. It was just an idle feeling now. Your soft voice brought him from his daze and he listened intently, he was _trying_ to understand why anyone would want to go on this trip... it was a fucking death wish. "I wanted to stay because of Eiji but... I also wanted to see you again."

He refused to meet your eyes; this was partly because of him. His stomach was fluttering and the tips of his ears felt hot, but at the same time, he felt like a piece of shit. "Cute," the smile he forced onto his face didn't reach his eyes.

"If we walk, maybe we will dry off quicker?" You said it like a statement but he could tell you were asking him to come with you.

"Sounds like a good idea," he stood up and stretched, sand fell off the back of his jeans and sweatshirt, his clothes felt awfully heavy. "C'mon," he held out his hand and you took it, smiling up at him as you began to drag him along. He half-smiled and allowed himself to be pulled along: Just this one night, he didn't want to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> max is kinda cute in his own way, dont @ me 
> 
> also, im so happy with the way this chapter turned out. maybe its just me but i feel like my writing has improved so much since chapter 1
> 
> i dont mean to jump into psychology but i feel like shorter would be kinda fucked, you know? lemme explain; he's lived his whole life surviving, he was in juvie for awhile, he's had to kill people, he's a gang leader and he's most likely witnessed friends die. that would fuck with a persons mindset, in my opinion. i know he's a happy-go-lucky type of guy but i feel like there would be some underlying trauma and it seems like, if he weren't a fictional characer, he would have an extremely nihilistic view of the world and his self-esteem might even be affected because of his experiences.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im trying to not use time skips but i had to do it for the diner transition. its 3 in the morning and i said to myself that i would go to bed at 12 omfg
> 
> ok i didn't read through this so im sorry for errors, ill just do it tomorrow and update it if i find any

The night had ended with you and Shorter walking along the shore, hoping to dry off before going back to the house. Somehow, you and he managed to get back into the house, lay down, and fall back to sleep without disturbing anyone else. Honestly, you were too excited to sleep, so Shorter kept you company, the two of you whispered to each other like silly schoolgirls having a sleepover until exhaustion took over.

A distant gunshot caused your eyes to snap open. You glanced around and noticed that Eiji and Ash were gone, quickly, you forced yourself up and jogged to the window. A sigh left your mouth as you spotted them near the top of the hill, silhouetted by the rising sun. You smiled; it looked like Ash was teaching Eiji how to shoot.

“I'm gonna go insane if I hear that damn noise again.” Shorter spoke through a yawn. You looked over your shoulder and watched him sit up and toss the blankets to the side.

"It is Ash."

“Hm?” You heard him stand, stretch and yawn again, then make his way over to the window where you were standing.

“Ash is teaching Eiji how to shoot," you explained.

“Kid's messing with my beauty sleep,” his hand landed on the windowsill, trapping you between the window and him, "Good idea, though, especially after what happened on the dock," he paused, then added on, "I don't blame him, though. 'S pretty scary, to be honest."

You spun around and looked up at him, a smile spreading across your face. It seemed to catch him off guard, though, because he rose his eyebrows slightly. "I just wanted to thank you again. Last night... meant a lot to me."

"Oh," he let go of the windowsill and rubbed the back of his neck, "You know... it was nothing."

The sunlight that was pouring in through the small window was hitting a part of his face and it made his tired eyes look so lovely; almost an amber color. It really boggled your mind why he wore those sunglasses _all_ the time; why would he want to hide those eyes?

Warmth spread across your cheeks once you realized you had been standing still, not speaking, for more than a few seconds. Shorter shot you a meek look before stepping out of your way. "We are going to the diner for breakfast, right?" It was dead-end small talk but it was better than pure silence.

“Yeah, and I hope we're going soon. I'm starving," the conversation stopped and you were already thinking about what to say next, but he was already one step ahead, "I've got a question, actually."

“Yes?”

"Well," he gestured towards the window, to Eiji and Ash, "Do you have any experience with fighting? I'm just curious because you seemed to handle it pretty well back on the dock."

“No, but, I have this for... safety reasons,” it was awkward but you reached into your shirt, which gained a funny look from Shorter, and then pulled out the little switchblade, “Better than nothing,” you shrugged.

“Oh, cool. You just hide that there?” He gestured towards your torso with a wave of his hand.

“There is a pocket sewn in the middle. It goes in there," you traced a line down the middle of your chest, indicating where it was located.

"Can I see it?" That tired look in his eyes was 100% gone, it was replaced with pure excitement and anticipation. You placed it in his hand and he smiled as he flicked it open, "Nice weight," he noted. If you blinked you would've missed it, but he twisted the blade between his fingers swiftly, almost like how you would spin a pencil between your fingers when you were bored in class.

"Wow," you breathed out.

"Oh?" He smirked, "Eh, it takes some practice. I've practically used them my whole life, though."

"I want to learn how to use a butterfly knife someday. It looks so cool."

"I could. I don't have one with me but in the future..." His sentence faded off and you noticed his gaze shift above your shoulder, back to the window, "Looks like Ash is busted," he spoke in a mocking, sing-song voice. "Ibe doesn't know you have that, right?" He pointed at the sheathed knife.

"No. He does not like weapons."

"Figures," he gave the knife back and you slipped it into your shirt. "Looks like Eiji's coming back. And... I wouldn't tell him about last night. Knowing him, he'll probably give you and me hell for sneaking out." As he spoke, he grabbed his sunglasses off the dresser and put them on.

You laughed, "Probably."

Once Eiji had stepped into the house and saw the two of you awake, his eyes lit up, "You two are finally awake," Shorter scoffed at that, and a grin spread across Eiji's face as he looked at you, "Happy birthday, (y/n)." He walked towards you and wrapped you in a tight hug and when he pulled away, he brushed a small piece of hair behind your ear, a fond smile stuck on his face, but it dropped abruptly, morphing into a sorrowful look, "I wish I had a present for you."

"It is alright," you shrugged, "Besides, you and Ibe took me on this trip, that is more than enough."

His smile returned and he sighed pleasantly, "Once Ash and Ibe get back, we're going to the diner."

"I don't think I can wait much longer, to be honest," Shorter crossed his arms, and then added quietly, "I might just starve..."

"Do you only think about food?" You looked behind your shoulder, smirking, and hoping to catch the little smile he would shoot your way every time you teased him.

"Hey, I'm a big guy, I gotta eat. Also," he waggled his finger at the two of you, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

You responded by sticking your tongue out at him, he laughed softly, shaking his head as he bent down to clean up the mess of blankets that were scattered all over the floor. Eiji couldn't help but smile; he was glad the two of you were getting along... he wouldn't want you to feel lonely because of how much time he was spending with Ash.

Speaking of Ash, he and Ibe had finally made their way back to the house, the two of them walked in and _finally_ : It was time for breakfast.

______________________________________________________________________

Breakfast was amazing... and tense. Ash's father would continuously make sly comments about Ash; he had told everyone to ignore his father before he had gone inside but it was difficult, especially for Eiji. The food was delicious and Shorter was in heaven, asking for more eggs or bacon, asking if you were done with your food (and when you were, you gave him the rest), and generally just pigging out. By the end of breakfast, Ash had disappeared; you assumed he was sick of his father's comments.

Eiji must've thought the same thing because he lost it when Ash's father said something particularly cruel. “Can’t you be nicer to him?” Everyone looked at the cause of the sudden outburst. Eiji’s posture suggested he was nervous, but his expression was fierce. You were shocked; normally, Eiji was calm in pretty much any situation. “How can you say that? You are his father.” He slammed his fist on the table and you flinched... this was not like Eiji at _all_.

Ash’s father kept reading the newspaper as he asked no one in particular, “What’s with this fuckin' kid?”

Eiji clenched his fists and opened his mouth as if he was going to speak more, but Max swooped in at the last second, wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and cut him off. “He’s just Ash’s buddy. Why do you want to get rid of him, though? Don't you love your son?"

He barely even looked up from the paper, “And who the hell are you? Why are you stickin’ around him?”

Max’s eyes dropped and the timbre of his voice mellowed out, “I was friends with Griff; we served in Iraq together.”

He finally dropped the damn newspaper and stood up, “Anyone want a drink?” When nobody answered, he sighed as he poured himself one, “An army veteran lived past the hills. He coached the boy's baseball team, kids loved him. Seemed like a respectable guy... achieved a lot in Afghanistan supposably. Ash was on the baseball team... seven years old at the time. And..." The man grimaced, "He came home after practice... clothes torn and bruised. I knew what happened.”

“What about the cops?” Max piped up.

“Of course. I practically dragged him there. Wanna know what they said? “Are you sure it was him?” The town loved the guy," he scoffed in disbelief, "They even suspected Ash of seducing him; can you fuckin' believe that? He was a kid for Christ's sake. And Ash... he was listenin', eyes wide open, so I told him, if the asshole tries to do the same thing... just shut up and let him,” his knuckles turned a papery-white color as he squeezed the glass, “But make him pay up,” after he took a drink, he set the glass down with a loud thump, “The man kept forcing him to his house every now and again. But when Ash was eight, he took my gun... shot the guy." Your stomach dropped at the confession; how could a father be so cruel to his own son? You clasped your hand together in front of you, mouth pressed into a thin line as you listened. “Well, the cops investigated and found kid’s bones in his basement. Never heard of it? “The Bluebeard of Cape Cod.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it,” Max replied.

“Since he was paying Ash, he must’ve let his guard down. The case being as it was, Ash wasn’t found guilty of anything. But it’s a small rural town. Rumors spread. So, I tried to send him to my little sister’s place-”

“But he ran away,” Eiji grit his teeth, "And..."

He didn't need to continue the sentence, everyone knew what terrifying things Ash had to go through growing up. The conversation faded off from there and everyone helped clean up the leftovers and dirty dishes. After exchanging awkward goodbyes, you and the rest of the group began to walk back to Griff's house, hopefully, Ash was there.

Shorter tucked his hands into his pockets, “I’ve known Ash for a long time but, I never knew.”

Ibe frowned, “You can’t blame him for not being able to trust anyone.”

“Even after all that, he still is not broken,” Eiji looked up at the sky as he walked, “Ash is strong," he spoke the words so clearly it caused a shiver to travel down your spine, and in silent agreement, you nodded to yourself.

Ibe and Max had gone upstairs once everyone got back to Griff's house, leaving you, Shorter, and Eiji alone downstairs. You were laying on the plush blankets, staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had been said during breakfast. You couldn't imagine someone being so horrible to their own flesh and blood; it broke your heart to think about what Ash had to deal with... his whole life, nobody was supporting him, and then he was kidnapped and; it made you feel sick just thinking about it. How did Ash live through all of it?

“Why isn’t Ash back yet?” Eiji was glued to the window. He had been like that for at least half an hour, going back and forth. 

You sat up and a dizzy feeling rushed into your head, you blinked and then adjusted yourself so the back of your head was rested against the couch, you felt your head touch Shorter’s side. He was laying on the couch. “Relax, he grew up here, he'll be back when he wants to be."

He was quiet, just staring outside at the dark. But then he walked towards the door. “I am going out to check,” he shut the door behind him.

You sighed, “Eiji is really attached to Ash, do you think?”

“You noticed that too?” Shorter lifted his head slightly and looked at you, “I think it’s good, though. Ash’s been happier, I guess.”

“He seems the same to me,” you shifted around so you were facing him and planted your elbows on the couch cushions, “But you _have_ known him longer."

"True, true," Shorter yawned loudly and sat up abruptly, "I'm gonna help, he seems nervous and it's making me nervous," he ran a hand through his messy hair stood up, "You wanna stay and get some rest?"

"Yeah," you couldn't help but yawn too, "Maybe I will still be awake by the time you come back."

"Hm, I can only hope," he chuckled and grabbed his sweatshirt, "Goodnight," then rushed out the door, hurrying after Eiji.

Before laying down again, you stood up and glanced out the window, Shorter had caught up to Eiji. Your eyes swept across the hills and you glanced over at the diner, then you squinted, wondering if it had been a trick of the light; the diner lights were still on. "I thought they were closing?" You wondered aloud. Maybe Ash was there? It might be on a whim, but you sighed and opened the door: Something felt off...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im imagining not taking a shower after falling into seawater with your clothes on and it cant be good; the clothes must feel gross and your skin must get sticky, right? ugh, but realism is realism.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its action time baby

Instead of catching up to Shorter and Eiji as you planned, you decided to head straight to the diner. Knowing Shorter, he would probably notice the diner lights after a bit. By the time you reached the hill near the diner window, you were out of breath, cool air bit at your throat and it stung badly. You noticed blonde hair and pale skin in the faint light coming from the window as you peered down from the hill, and then you noticed Ash's eyes on yours; he almost looked relieved. You took that as a sign to come down and you stayed out of the sight of the window, it was like you suspected; something was off.

Crouching, you made your way through the brush and down to the window, then leaned up against the wall next to him, making sure to keep quiet. Men's voices came from inside the diner and you felt anxiety bubble up in you. How did Golzine's men find everyone so quickly? They were threatening Ash's father and Jennifer, beckoning Ash to show himself. You could see the sweat forming on his brow and the rage in his eyes.

You had no idea what to do, so you were basically relying on Ash for instructions. He faced you and held his finger to his lips, then held two fingers up and gestured towards the window. Two men were inside. He mouthed the word, "Gun," against your ear and you pulled it from the waistband of your pants, then held it out for him. He took it and replaced his revolver with it.

The gears in his head seemed to be turning as he clutched his revolver, eyes glazing over as if he was stuck in deep thought. Fear immediately replaced the dull look and he jerked forward at the sound of someone cheerfully calling his name. Just as Eiji yelled, Ash placed a hand on your shoulder and kept you flat against the wall, his grip was unbelievably tight and you could feel his hand shaking. Ash turned his back to the window as it exploded into a million little glass shards, catching on the moonlight as they dropped into the grass. You shut your eyes and took a deep breath, silently cursing Eiji out.

Ash must’ve felt the same way because he sighed quietly, then let go of your shoulder. You glanced at the general direction where Eiji called out from, Shorter and him were crouched down, partly covered by bushes.

“You hear this, Ash Lynx?” The man's low, gravelly voice had you shivering.

He let his head go lax and it thumped against the wall silently, he took a deep breath, knuckles growing paler as he gripped his revolver. What he was thinking was starting to make sense; if he had to throw his revolver, he could use your gun to shoot them.

“Throw the gun away and come out if you want them to live.” There was some shuffling from inside and you heard Jennifer sob quietly, “The woman goes first," there was no response so he continued with his threats, trying to convince him to come out, "Hey, Ash, you wanna see her fuckin' head blown off?” There was amusement... cruel amusement laced in the man's words.

“Stop! Don’t touch them,” Ash kept his voice steady; clear and calm, which was exactly the opposite of how you were feeling right now. In all honesty, you were fucking terrified. He chucked the revolver through the window. “Let them go!”

“You’re not the one giving orders around here. Come in with your hands behind your head and then we'll talk!”

"Fuck!" Ash hissed under his breath and he looked at you, eyes wide. He looked at you as if he was asking for help. Even if he did have your gun, he was still scared. The thought of Ash being scared struck a chord with you; the dread you had been feeling settled deep in your gut as you stared back at him, just as helpless.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“Fine! I’ll do what you say,” he elbowed the other window pane and the glass shattered, just before he heaved himself over the ledge, he looked at you and whispered one word, "Door." He jumped in the room and you heard him step away from the window. “Go to hell,” he spat.

Reluctantly, you did what he said and crept around the side of the diner to the front door, though, you weren’t sure what he wanted you to do. Quickly, you reached for your switchblade, flicked it open, then leaned against the door, holding on to the handle with your free hand and not daring to turn it. 

A pained gasp left your mouth as the truck’s high beams suddenly flashed on, hitting you directly in the eyes. You clenched them shut, trying to suppress the throbbing you felt behind your eyelids. “Freeze, cops!” It was Max; thank god.

One of Golzine’s men shouted and you heard a loud scuffle from behind the door. Ash must’ve taken the opportunity to put up a fight. The door handle jimmied roughly and you let go, Jennifer appeared on the other side, she was trying to get out. You felt _and_ looked like a deer and headlights as the two men stared you down, obviously shocked that there was another person.

“You bitch!” He shouted as he aimed at Jennifer, who was about to shove you aside. 

Without thinking, you hurled yourself into her, slamming her into the ground, and landing on top of her in the process, she exclaimed loudly as you elbowed her in the stomach. You held in the yelp that threatened to leave your mouth as the two of you slammed foreheads. It felt like a horse had kicked you in the head and your vision blurred for a moment, when you opened your eyes again, you could see the wetness forming in them and you blinked it away; there was no goddamn way you were crying right now.

Everyone was shouting, someone was yelling Jennifer's name, the two men were throwing out insults left and right, and Ash was huffing and grunting, probably trying to rip away from one of the men. Your head hurt so bad... why wouldn't they all just shut up? For a moment, you just stayed still, hoping that everything would just _stop_ so you could catch your breath. It was like everything you did was in slow-motion, every time you tried to lift yourself up, your arms just gave out. The exhaustion you felt hit you like a train

Just as you were about to give in and collapse again, gunshots were fired. It was like everything was coming into focus again as Ash cried out, “Dad!”

Jennifer began to sob again, her body shook underneath yours and you pushed yourself off her and stood up, successfully giving yourself a terrible headrush. When you finally looked up, the same guy was cocking his gun, Ash's father was on the floor, and the other guy was on the floor, barely moving. You looked around rapidly and grabbed the closest thing nearby that could serve as protection; the small kitchen table. Carelessly, you tossed the switchblade on the floor and, with all the strength you could muster, you flipped it on its side so it could, possibly, shield Jennifer.

Without thinking, you jumped over the table, trying to get to Ash to help him, but you felt someone snatch your wrist and yank you backward. You almost tumbled over the table, but the man wrapped his arms around your waist and lifted you up in the air. "Stop fuckin' moving!" He breathed heavily by your ear and you clawed at his arms, the cuffs of his suit began to ride up his wrists and you dug at his skin until your nails felt sore. He dropped you onto the floor, knocking the wind out of you in the process. Your breath was coming in as short, painful bursts and your hand immediately went to your mouth as he kicked you in the abdomen. Hot tears pooled in your eyes and bit your bottom lip, trying to keep yourself from crying.

He wasted no time and sat on you, and it didn't take long for you to realize there was no way you were getting him off. He must've weighed double your own weight, and you had never been very strong. Despite how much it hurt your stomach to move, you lifted your arms and pushed against his shoulders. And it didn't matter how much you wanted to call for help, to beg for it, you wouldn't do it: You didn't want anyone to think you were weak or that you couldn't fight back.

Someone was talking and they sounded a bit panicked. The hands you expected to feel wrap around your neck didn't come, there was nothing, and the weight you had felt eased up. Your unknown savior grabbed your arm and pulled you so roughly you were convinced your arm would just pop out of its socket. The pain you had felt when being yanked on made you feel a bit more conscious and you blinked slowly, a sharp burning sensation kept pulsing through your gut; it ached like hell.

When your vision finally focused, the first thing you saw was a blade sweeping across that guy's neck. The serrated edge got stuck on his skin occasionally and tore his flesh apart. Thick, red blood began to seep out of his neck and you gagged into your hand as an awful gurgling sound began to spill out of his mouth. It seemed like an eternity, but he stopped clawing at the air and his body drooped pathetically against the wall; his eyes looked dull. The second thing you saw was Shorter swiping your switchblade off the floor, closing it, then putting it in his pocket.

And when he let go of him, the man fell to the floor, thudding against the hardwood. He hurried towards you, grabbed your upper arm and he jerked you in the direction of the doorway. You glanced over your shoulder before basically being dragged out; Jennifer was on her knees, comforting Ash's father and pressing on the gunshot wounds. Ash was beside her, speaking frantically. 

Shorter wouldn't let go and he kept running towards the truck. The scene kept replaying in your mind... the way that knife would get caught... you pulled in the opposite direction and tried to tell him to stop. Bile rose up in your throat and you felt unbelievably nauseous, each time you tried to speak you almost retched, the running and the fiery ache in your gut wasn't helping. "What the hell are you doing? Come on!" He slowed down a bit and glanced in your direction, obviously frustrated.

You waved your hand at him and shook your head, managing to get out the words, "Wait... wait. I... need to stop."

"The trucks right there!" At this point, he had stopped, looking concerned, but also pissed off. "(Y/n), come on!"

"Just let go for a second!" You didn't mean to shout, but if he didn't let go you were going to lose your damn mind: He wasn't budging.

You had reached your limit. Roughly, you pulled your hand away and stepped off to the side, near the bushes that lined the walkway. Throwing up when you had been kicked in the stomach was probably the worst pain you had felt in your life. A cramp formed in your side and you clutched your stomach, meanwhile using your free hand to hold your hair away from your face. It felt like you couldn't breathe and you gasped through your mouth, gagging yet again when you tasted your own saliva.

"Christ," he let out an exasperated sigh. The grass crunched underneath his shoes as he walked behind you and grabbed your hair, keeping it out of your face and freeing up your hand so you could rub the stitch in your side.

You wiped your mouth off on your sleeve. "Sorry."

He shook his head slightly and wrapped his hand around your wrist gently, "Let's go."

The two of you ran to the truck, he jumped in and helped you up. Shorter's hand splayed across your waist and he guided you down until you were sitting on the cold metal floor, he crouched beside you and handed you the switchblade; his hand lingered against your own, eventually pulling away and joining Eiji by the opening of the truck. You leaned against the wall of the truck and wiped the wetness from your eyes, your throat was burning. You couldn't help but think about the man again; the ragged cut across his neck, the blood, and the way he struggled. It was racing through your head. This was so messy and up-close, not like shooting. 

And you kept doubting yourself, you kept beating yourself up for being too weak to fight back. Maybe, you were in over your head after all.

The metal thrummed against your body as Ash threw himself over the side and into the vehicle. He shouted something; you weren't really listening. Eiji, Ash, and Shorter were sitting near the opening of the truck, watching the diner lights fade into the distance. Your eyes drifted shut you and did manage to fall asleep, not because you wanted to, but because your body was exhausted. You slept restlessly, dreaming of dead eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt have the heart to kill jennifer; she was too sweet.
> 
>  
> 
> ik nobody gives a damn but idc, if you like rap you should listen to shake it up by trippie red, its so damn good. oh and typical story by hobo jackson.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wanna know what happened with this shit? so, i pull up the 'edit chapter' thing, right? this was like 5 days ago and i edit a bit everyday. so, i finished up, read it over, and click preview. it says 'timed out' and i almost freak out because i didn't have a save of the finished chapter. i click 'back' praying to god that its still there. it is, so i copy and paste it in case it happens again. 
> 
> i copy and paste the stuff back into the 'edit chapter' box and it copies in as one big long block of text. i try again, and again, and again, but to no avail. so, i have to go through every line and double space it into paragraphs again; lovely time that was. lmao, im just being extra, it was annoying tho.

After sitting in the truck for two days, your skin was _crawling_. And, of course, your sleep was absolute shit. Every time you shut your eyes and tried to rest, those eyes would fill your head and your dreams; not that you were having many of those lately. After tossing and turning for what seemed like forever, you threw the blanket aside and sat up. You were sweating like crazy and honestly, felt disgusting. Hopefully, wherever Max was going to had a shower. The cold, metal wall felt great against your warm skin and you leaned against it, sighing with relief as you scooted closer to the curtain flaps, letting the wind blow across your clammy face. 

You shut your eyes and inhaled through your nose deeply, then exhaled. "Mmm," Shorter rolled over sluggishly and laid on his side, looking at you, eyes barely open. "Can't sleep again?" He mumbled. 

“Just thinking,” you responded, equally soft in tone. He scooched a bit closer and propped himself up on his elbow, yawning quietly into his other hand; at the sight of his tired eyes, you silently cursed yourself out for keeping him up, "You should go back to sleep." 

“Naw, I'd rather talk to you," he smiled lazily, trying to mask his exhaustion. "What's on your mind?" 

So, so much. Where was Max driving too? When will your unwarranted guilt go away? Did Shorter ever have nightmares about the people he's hurt? What the _hell_ was Eiji thinking... and why wasn't he talking to you as much? Did Ash think you were weak because you practically gave up at the diner? "Nothing important." 

"You wanna know something?" 

You clasped your hands together in your lap and leaned forward, curious about what he wanted to say. "What?" The wind blew a piece of hair in your face and you brushed it away. 

At a sloth's pace, he sat up and dragged himself next to you, wincing as he sat with his back again the wall, "Arm fell asleep," he stretched the arm he had been leaning on and flexed his fingers. Once he had gotten comfortable, he explained, "You saved Jennifer," Shorter's lowered his tone until he was speaking softly, just above a whisper. His eyes flitted over to where Ash was sleeping, "I know he hasn't said anything but he _is_ grateful." 

“That’s good,” you rose the pitch of your voice to sound a bit more cheerful. Unless something had changed within the past two days, you had seen Jennifer, alive and well, before you and Shorter left the diner. It was nice to get some acknowledgment, though. 

Shorter bit his lip and loured, “I didn't want you to see that." He hesitated for a moment, looking conflicted. "Do I disgust you?" 

Your jaw almost dropped when you noticed a look in his eyes. Your heart sunk; it was as if his facade had broken. A part of you wished you could truly know what he felt, but a part of you was glad you couldn't. Your chest felt heavier than before, just from that one moment of unchecked emotion, "No." You were aghast that he would even think that. "Of course not." 

"I know it's none of my business, but I just," Shorter liked to think of himself as a very up-front type of guy, but he felt terrified at the moment, "I hate seeing you so... ah, I don't know. You just seem upset with me, or... I don't know," his words faded off and after a few moments of silence, he mumbled so quietly you strained to hear, "I dunno." 

"Do you ever have nightmares?" 

"I think everyone does," he cocked his head, "What's that have to do with it?" 

"No, no. I mean, nightmares about the people you have, um-" 

"You're having nightmares." You nodded slowly and he pursed his lips, "What're they about?" He had a pretty good idea, but he wanted to hear it from you. 

"I see his eyes. Almost every time I shut mine, I see them," you shifted slightly, so you were facing him, "Does anything help?" 

Was it possible for his self-loathing to hit a new low? Honestly, he couldn't tell anymore. There were so many different ways he could've done that; he could've told you to get out, told you to shut your eyes, choked the guy, anything else. But no, he had to do it in the most graphic way, in front of you. He swore up and down to himself that he would try his hardest to _not_ expose you to that. "I'm sorry, (y/n)." The words popped out before he could shut himself up. 

"Why? I do not blame you for anything that happened at the diner-" 

"I'm sorry that you're having nightmares, is what I meant. And you could think about things that make you happy; so, what does make you happy? Friends? Special places or things you like to do? Family?" 

You shook your head, frowning, "Can I... tell you something?" 

"Anything." 

The thought of talking about it caused your eyes to glaze over, "I never-" Ash groan sleepily and roll over; how had you forgotten that Eiji and he were there? "Forget it." 

Though he was disappointed, he kept it to himself. "Yeah, whenever you want, (y/n). And... you said you're having trouble sleeping. Well, you could always lay by me, if you want." 

It was impossible to notice in the dark, but warm redness was creeping up the back of your neck, "You mean, like, lay next to you?" 

"Ah," he laughed softly, "Nah, but if you wanted... nevermind. I'm just saying that maybe if you know someone is by you, it could help you relax more. Just knowing someone's close, basically. 'Cuz, unless you want to talk some more, I'm pretty damn tired," he crawled over the to the blanketed floor and laid down, "Try and sleep... please." Wordlessly, you mimicked his actions and laid on the warm blankets, a foot or so away from him. "'Night, (y/n)." 

You let out a soft hum in response and shut your eyes, batting away the horrible thoughts that had plagued you since you left the diner. 

**1 Week**

Three days in that truck was what the plan was. _Three_ days was all you expected. But, what you didn’t expect was one whole week in that damn truck. Max, the self-proclaimed, "pro-navigator," was anything but. Even Ash was lost. The air was brisk and your jeans weren't doing much to keep the cold out, you crossed your arms and leaned against the truck, listening to them bicker about directions. 

The arguing died down once Max had pulled out his phone, "One second," he pressed his lips together and let out a frustrated huff. 

You rolled up the sleeves of Shorter's sweatshirt, he had suggested you borrow it because you, "looked cold." It was huge on you and the sleeves hung way past your fingertips; at least it was warm, though. “Do we have any idea where we are? My ass is as hard as a rock for Christ's sake," he complained loudly and rubbed his lower back for emphasis. Your lip quirked upwards and you smiled in amusement; he was so endearing sometimes. 

“I agree, we have been in there for almost a week,” Eiji piped up from beside you. 

Shorter continued, "Plus, I'm starving. I want some real food." 

Ash jumped up and aimed his gun in the direction of the woods. The breeze rippled through the leaves and you tilted your head, trying to see what he was seeing. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, and all you could hear was the leaves brushing against one another. "Who's there?" He called out into the darkness; you almost brushed his reaction off as being paranoid. That was until someone appeared from behind a tree, shining a flashlight in Ash's face. 

He dropped the gun instantly and hid it behind his back, expression softening once he realized it was just an old man. "You tell me." The light flashed across the ground and it bounced around everyone's face until he had seen the whole group, "Who are you guys?" 

Max lit up and took a step forward, expression overflowing with hope, “We're just trying to get to Las Angeles. Can you tell us?” 

“What do you mean? You're here," he gestured towards a thick clump of trees that blocked the horizon. You kept looking up until you could see something lighting up the night sky, just above the tips of the trees. 

You pushed yourself off the truck and rolled up your sleeves again as they began to fall down. Eiji and Shorter were already sprinting towards the trees, and you saw the disappear in them. You picked up the pace and jogged into the small, wooded area. Shorter whooped and began laughing in what sounded like relief. When you made it to the other side, you gasped softly. The height of the hill made you feel like you were on top of the city and you rushed to the edge, staring at the mass of buildings and bright, flickering lights. It was like the beach all over again; your breath had been stolen. 

Soft footsteps caused your focus to break and you glanced beside you, Eiji was smiling, watching the city with a similar look to your own. "Oh, Eiji, this is beautiful." You managed to get the words out, awe was evident in your tone. He nodded and wrapped an arm around your shoulder, you bit your lip to stifle your grin and your shoulders drooped as the excited tension seemed to drift out of your back. Oh, and regular tension; the bed of a truck isn't the most comfortable thing to sleep on, even with blankets. 

Everyone was a lot more energetic than before and much more hopeful, the drive was still going to be long, but since Max and Ash knew where they were, it was supposed to only take a day. Sleep came easy to you that night, it seemed like things were looking up. When everyone woke up the next day, you, Eiji, and Shorter insisted on stopping the truck to take off the big curtain thing. It was hot and the breeze was nice. Ash finally agreed to it after Shorter kept calling his cell over and over until he picked up. 

The wind was whipping your hair around your face viciously and you brushed it out of your eyes for what seemed like the millionth time. The air smelled like salt and sunscreen as the truck strolled past the huge beach. The water was more vibrant than in Cape Cod. Eiji’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight and he had that wide-eyed look he and you had first arrived at the airport. It was funny; that seemed like so long ago when in reality it was only a month or so ago. 

Eiji grabbed your shoulder and pulled you between his legs; like how two kids would do when going down a slide like a “train.” He brought his hands to his face and made a box around it with his thumb and finger. You couldn’t help but laugh, the warm sun felt amazing on your skin and nothing beat that airy, carefree feeling in your chest. Ibe snapped a picture of the two of you and you crawled away and latched onto the siding of the truck. Shorter was gazing out at the water, holding his sunglasses in place because of the ferocity of the wind. 

A woman walking on the side of the road caught your eye. Confidence was radiating off of her as she strut, her wide hips swayed as she walked and she held her head up high. Her dark skin was eye-catching in the bright sunlight and everything about her caught your eye, especially her clothes. Her tight shorts were beautifully flattering and her cropped tank top left nothing to the imagination. Put shortly, she was _stunning_. You leaned forward ever so slightly, eyes widening as you looked at her, "Wow," you smiled, her confidence was a bit contagious, "She was beautiful." You weren't really speaking to anyone, just thinking out loud. 

Shorter looked caught off guard, “Oh?” He hummed thoughtfully, shrugging nonchalantly after a moment, “A little bit." 

You peeked around him, looking for one of the plastic bottles of water Ibe had bought, "Do you still have that water?" He nodded and reached to the left, handing it to you, "You do not mind?" You were referring to sharing the same bottle, he shook his head. As you tilted your head back and took a drink, you noticed Shorter shooting a sidelong gaze your way from behind his sunglasses. The truck drove over a shallow pot-hole and you pulled the water away just as it splashed back at you, a few droplets landed on your lips and cheek; you swiped your thumb across your bottom lip, half-smiling as you did. While capping the bottle, you noticed him wet his lips, "You want some?" He snapped out of whatever daze he was in and took the bottle back, shaking his head as he did. 

He cleared his throat, “I've got a question, actually." 

You lifted your head, “Mhm?” Again, you pulled your hair back.

“You know,” he rose his voice so you could hear over the wind, “After... all this is over with. If you were ever in the area, I would take you around." 

“Really?” A smile spread across your face and you rested your elbow on the trucks siding, laying your chin in the palm of your hand as you looked at him. You were trying to find his eyes behind the sunglasses. 

“Yeah, it would be fun. I mean, I know the area better than you." The more he spoke, the quieter his tone became. He said something else but you didn't quite catch it over the wind. You tapped your ear and he leaned closer to your ear, "I said I... would like it a lot." If it was possible, sun would've flooded your soul in that very moment. the fact that he would even offer you that made you feel kind of special. 

You smiled and he swore he saw your eyes glimmering in the sunlight. A shaky laugh spilled through his parted lips as you beamed at him. Your eyes wrinkled in the corners and he could tell it was genuine. He found himself... really liking it. "I would like it a lot too." 

Shorter clasped his hands together tightly in his lap and he leaned in close, speaking quietly beside your ear, “Say, even if I didn't offer... would you come back anyway?” 

The question seemed ridiculous and you smiled charmingly, “Silly question," you beckoned him to move closer and he did, you cupped your hands together and whispered, "I would miss you.” 

"You would?" Warmth spread throughout his chest and he faced the beach so you couldn't see him flush slightly, “I would miss you too.” 

**1 Day**

“I wonder why..." You were laying on the bed of the truck, staring at the stars and talking to Shorter. You tilted your head back until you saw him, he looked upside down from this angle. 

“Why, what?” He had taken his sunglasses off and the two of you locked eyes, the corner of his lips quirked up into a half-smile. 

"Why does she not want Max to see his son. It is his birthday... seems fair," a loud yawn spilled out of you and you covered your mouth. He opened his mouth to speak, but the truck drifted to a stop and he quieted down. You propped yourself up on your elbows and looked over the side of the truck; the house that Max had stopped in front of was massive. This must've been the address Ash was talking about, "Looks like we are here," you sat up slowly. Shorter got up, stretched, and jumped over the side, landing on the driveway steadily. It was like a natural reflex now as he extended a hand in your direction, you took it as you jumped down. 

He wasted no time walking up to the gate and pushing it open, tilting his head when he realized it was unlocked, "Hmph," he pushed it open fully and peeked his head inside. 

“Something wrong?” Max glanced at Ash, who was frowning deeply. 

“It feels... I can't explain it. I don't like this,” he shoved his hands in his pockets and moved closer to Shorter. A loud shriek caused everyone to flinch in surprise. “It came from the back!” Ash and Shorter rushed through the gate, towards the back of the house. You followed behind, as did Eiji. 

They both skidded to a halt near an older woman that was dressed as a maid. Shorter kneeled down and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Are you okay?” He looked her up and down, trying to see if she was hurt badly. 

“Master has been kidnapped,” she responded, her voice weak and shaky. Ash hurried through an archway and Shorter tailed behind him. You quickly helped the woman stand up and she thanked you profusely. 

You heard gunshots and Ash shouting, “Shorter, out front!” You decided to focus on helping this woman get somewhere safer, Eiji decided to follow Ash. You heard a few more gunshots and Shorter yelling over to Ash that he's got it. Ibe jogged over and walked over to the other side of the old woman, ready to steady her if she felt dizzy or overwhelmed. You were extremely curious who this, "Master" was. 

“I was making dinner when those men came barging in and took the young Master,” the woman adjusted the blankets around the young boy. He looked oddly peaceful. Shorter had offered to carry the boy inside because he was unconscious and the old woman set up the bed for the kid. He looked way too young... did he actually own a house like this? 

“They were after this boy?” Max rose an eyebrow. 

“Who is he, anyway?” Ash cut in. 

“Yau-si is Masters... he is professor Alexis Dawson’s son.” Yau-si... Alexis Dawson... probably adoptive. 

The boy's eyes fluttered open and Shorter leaned forward, narrowing his eyes curiously, “He looks like (y/n),” Shorter tilted his head and looked at the boy once again. It sort of made sense; Yau-si did kinda... well, look very feminine. 

“Who are you all?” He was very soft-spoken and the timbre of his voice was almost soothing. 

“We came here looking for an Abraham Dawson,” Max said. 

The boy nodded slowly, eyeing everyone curiously, “That’s my father’s younger brother. Though, I’ve never met him before.” 

Max spoke up again, “Your dad isn’t Asian, is he? Guessing from the name." 

“I was adopted.” That cleared things up a bit more, “My father didn’t have any children so he adopted me.” 

Ash smirked, “You landed big.” Max rolled his eyes and sighed in disapproval, “So, where is the professor?” 

“Father has been missing for six months.” Ash wanted to look at Dawson’s room so Yau-si showed him the way. The rest of the group followed behind. 

“What a mess. Didn't you call the cops?” Ash nudged something on the floor with his foot. Books, broken cabinets and furniture, and scattered papers covered the floor. You looked at a couple of books, they were mostly related to science and biology. 

“We called. But only a few policemen came.” Yau-si smiled forlornly at the desk, it was the only thing not completely destroyed. 

Eiji frowned, sympathy lacing his words, “It must have been scary with your father missing.” 

“Something’s not right.” Ash bit his lip and crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the floor curiously. 

Max ignored Ash’s comment, “Where do you think your dad might be?” 

“Can I ask what is going on? Who are you, anyway?” 

“Us?" Max glanced around, hoping for some help, "Well, we’re..." 

Ash stepped over some books, stopping in front of the computer, “Can I look at this computer?” 

Yau-si shrugged, “Sure, but you need a password.” 

“I’ll figure it out.” 

Eiji crouched by Ash, “You can do that?” 

The older woman walked in, “Dinner is ready if you’re hungry.” 

“In a minute.” Yau-si brushed her off and after a moment of watching, he walked out. 

You heard Ash whisper into Shorter’s ear, “Can you look him up?” 

“Why, something wrong?” 

“I don’t know. Just that... he’s too quiet.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> old school hip-hop mixed with lo-fi beats is serene asf, and jesus, i always kinda liked kanye's music but goddamn, his music is my shittttt now. i got frank ocean vibes from this lmao, prolly cuz i was listening to him while writing.
> 
>  
> 
> oh and we got some backstory with the reader, yay

It had been an hour or so since Ash had begun working on getting into Dawson's computer and you were getting a bit restless. The door was cracked open and you knocked on the doorframe before entering so you didn't startle him. His eyes were glued to the monitor as he spoke, "Something wrong?"

"No, I was just wondering how it was going?"

He blew air out of his mouth and leaned back, stretching his arms above his head, "Guy's got some strong security, luckily, I've got-"

Yau-si appeared in the doorway, an apologetic look crossed his face, "Sorry for interrupting... I have some jasmine tea," he looked your way, "I didn't know you were in here, would you like some tea as well?"

"No, thanks," you shook your head and stepped aside so he set the tray on the desk. The steam rolled out and poured over the sides of the cup, eventually fading into the air; it smelled nice.

"Oh, and Shorter wanted me to tell you that he's heading out soon," Ash took the cup and placed it down beside him.

You perked up and started to back out of the room, "Good luck with that, Ash," you smiled and left the two of them alone, passing Eiji on your way out. You made a beeline for the main entrance. 

Shorter was pulling on his sweatshirt and when his head popped out of the neck hole, he smiled at you. "Hey."

You took a few slow steps forward, smiling coyly, "Shorter?"

He adjusted his sunglasses and pulled his sweatshirt down. "Yeah?" His response was hesitant and one of his brows arched, eyeing you curiously as you stopped in front of him.

"Can I _please_ come with you?" The reluctant look on his face said it all. You tilted your head and looked up at him, "Pretty please?"

“I dunno...”

“Come on, Shorter. Pretty please?” You grabbed his hands gently and bounced on the heels of your feet impatiently, "I feel so restless just waiting here."

“Now that's just not fair..." He looked down at your hands, they were wrapped tightly around his own. An exasperated sigh left his parted lip, "Okay, okay. Tell Eiji you're going, though."

"Yes! Do not leave without me,” You grinned and let go of his hands, heading back down the hallway.

The drive was going to be a few hours to and back. You were sat in the passenger seat, listening to the music that drifted out of the speakers; a little smile was stuck on your face as you watched the scenery go by. "So, why'd you wanna come?"

That smile grew and you lolled your head in his direction, "I did not want to wait around. And I like spending time with you."

“Yeah? Nice of you to say."

Since the two of you were talking... "I have a question, actually."

"Yep?"

"I just curious... are you part of Ash's gang? I assumed because the two of you are friends," you paused for a moment, trying to remember your other point, "Oh! And you have connections with people in a lot of places."

“Yeah.”

You lifted your legs up and rested them on the dashboard, scooching further down the seat, “So, you are part of his?"

“No. Er, well, I control Chinatown... and their mafia." He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, eyes roaming your face hurriedly before looking back at the road.

“Really?"

“Yeah, the group of people I'm going to see, we're... allied with them.”

Curiosity flashed across your eyes and you sat up a little, still keeping your feet on the dash. What he said didn't actually surprise you: It was interesting. It made sense if he was part of a gang or the boss of one, being so close to Ash and everything. “How does that work?”

“Well, the Chinese sort of work together. I’m Chinese-American and like, 90% of my guys are Chinese or Chinese-American ‘cause most of them are from Chinatown. The big shots in the city work with us. It’s tricky, though, because it only works if both of us are mutually benefited. Things can go bad real quick if they get interested in something and we’re associated with it.”

“So they are unpredictable?"

He nodded, “Yeah, exactly. Speaking of that, when we get there; you gotta stay in the truck, and you can't change my mind."

You rested your elbow on the area that separated both of the seats down the middle, peering up at him with wide eyes, “How come?”

“It's like you said; they're unpredictable. I don’t want them knowing you're associated with me; that's all,” he sighed, “So you’re staying in the truck.”

“Fair enough," you smiled affectionately, "You let me come after all. And, thank you for telling me about yourself.”

“I... trust you,” he looked confused and his brows pinched together for a moment. A blank expression spread across his face, and he was quiet for a moment, then he spoke up again. This time, he had a question or two for you, “Can I ask you some things too?"

“Mhm, what do you want to know?"

“I was always curious; why do you always carry that knife?"

"It is a long story,” you bit your lip, “I do not want to bum you out."

"Don't worry about me. But, hey, if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay," he smiled reassuringly. Though, he was _very_ curious; the more he and you talked, the more intrigued he became. It was obvious you had secrets. 

It went silent and he didn't press the subject further. You reached to turn up the radio and stopped in the middle, paused, then leaned back against the seat. "There were a lot of fights where I lived," you wrung your hands together in your lap, not daring to look at him, "I grew up in a foster home."

“I didn’t know you grew up in such a tough way. You didn’t seem like that type of girl.”

“Shorter... please do not take this the wrong way. I just do not want to talk about it right now," you tried to cover up the flood of melancholy you were currently feeling with a misty smile

He let one of his hands drop from the steering wheel and placed it on top of yours, occasionally breaking eye contact with the road to look at you, “It's okay,” His words were so gentle you thought you would just melt into the seat. Wordlessly, you interlaced your fingers between his. His hands felt soft but his knuckles were rough and scarred. It felt like your body was on fire as he gently brushed his thumb along the top of your hand.

He couldn't believe what he was doing. This was the opposite of what he said he wouldn't do: Don't get too close. How hard was it to just _not_ do the shit he was doing? It was like something was tugging him; pulling him towards you, though; besides, you were upset, he was just being a good friend and comforting you. 

**1 Hour**

“We're here,” he unbuckled his seatbelt and put the car keys in his pocket. You opened your eyes and nodded lazily at him; you had been trying to fall asleep, “Don’t get out, right?"

“Right,” you spoke through a yawn and shut your eyes again, smiling tiredly and waving him off, "Mm, do not take too long."

Shorter chuckled and opened the car door, shutting it carefully. You heard the locks click and you leaned against the seat, body relaxing completely; it was nice and warm. You couldn't really pinpoint how long you had been asleep, but you woke up with a start when the car door slammed shut. You opened your eyes, straining to see because of the dull sunlight; he must've been there for a while, the sun was beginning to set.

He looked out of breath like he had just been running. "Did you find out anything?"

His head snapped in your direction and sighed deeply, craning his neck upward and letting out a short burst of anxious laughter before exclaiming breathlessly, "Oh, Jesus..." He wiped off his sweaty brow and put his glasses back on

"Are you okay?"

The weak smile he shot your way was enough to know something was off about him. His emotions were always at the surface and it was easy to tell when something was bugging him, and right now, he looked frantic, almost bordering on hysterical. He let out another deep breath and nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I'm good," after a few moments of just listening to him breathe heavily, he seemed to chill out. His breaths slowed and his expression became less pinched and more neutral, "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"What about Yau-si, and Ash is expecting us, right?"

"There's nothing on him, and Ash won't mind," he jammed the keys into the keyhole.

"You are sure?"

He looked sullenly at you, "I don't want to go back, yet," you were still unsure, " _Please_ , let's just get some food."

You laughed softly, "Alright, alright," raising your hands in defeat as you did, "Where?"

"Dunno," he pulled his phone out of his pocket and tossed it in your lap, "The password's 268310. There's a Google Maps app somewhere in there, just search for places to eat near us."

The two of you decided that eating out at a restaurant wasn't something that he or you felt like doing. The next best thing was getting some fast food. Once he had paid for the food and you were holding the warm bags in your lap, he drove off, "Where are we going?"

"The beach." 

The drive was quick and he pulled into the parking lot, stopping the truck in a corner and taking the keys out. "Here," you handed him his food and he smiled in response. You reached into your bag and pulled out a few fries, sighing blissfully as you ate them. The moment was short-lived once you remembered Shorter's freakout, "What happened?"

"Nothin'," he waved you off and unwrapped the greasy burger, "Wasn't payin' attention and crossed the road. A car scared the shit out of me, that's it." You were about to ask if there was anything else, but he interrupted you, "C'mon, bring your food." He opened the door and hopped out, you did the same, the bag of food in hand. He hopped into the back of the truck and pulled you in with him, "It's nice out, right?"

"Yeah," just the top of the sun was visible, the sky was lit up with oranges and yellows. You sat down on the bed of the truck and set your food down beside you, watching the sun set completely as you ate the rest of your fries and pulled the burger out of the bag.

He sat down beside you, "Hey, (y/n)?" The soft crack in his voice unnerved you and you turned his way, an uneasy look on your face. You couldn't see his full expression and that frustrated you more; why didn't he ever say what he was feeling? He wasn't good at hiding it, so why did he even try? "I'm just... sorry."

The harsh edge in your voice caught him off guard, "Would you stop beating yourself up?" You rolled the paper bag up roughly and tossed it aside, glowering at him, "This... it is not fair to leave me in the dark, Shorter," you rose your voice slightly and your face was reddening because of the rage that was bubbling up in you. "Not every burden needs to be on your shoulders!"

To your surprise, anger flashed across his face. He pressed his lips together and looked away, "Right." It wasn't your intention to snap at him like that but he had to understand that what he was doing wasn't _good_ for him. 

Your gentle voice almost made him fall apart... he didn't want to cry, not now, not when he had so many thoughts racing through his head, "I did not mean to get so upset."

"It's fine. Let's just head back," he forced a smile, "Ash will give us hell if we're late."


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah baby; im fucking BACK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooh this might be the longest one yet
> 
> i bought a diffuser and it smells good asf, bro i swear, mood lighting, some lofi or slow kanye songs, and a diffuser, it makes you feel a whole different type of way. im so chill rn

Yau-si walked into the kitchen and clasped his hands together in front of him, "Suk-Leui put out of some clothes for you. It seems like you have been through a lot... you can use the shower if you wish."

"Really?"

"Yes, and you can put the ones you are wearing now in the basket. She'll wash them for you."

It was a welcome surprise; you were dying to shower but you were too bashful to ask. "Thank you," you put your cup in the sink. Yau-si shot you a tight-lipped smile and headed towards the balcony. You headed straight for the bathroom, he wasn't lying, there was a plain button-up and a pair of grey, dress pants: It looked like something he would wear. You locked the door and began to strip, immediately, you turned on the shower to the hottest setting you could bear. You were going to _scrub_ the hell out of your skin; not being able to shower was the worst.

The water burned and your skin began to tint pink because of the heat. The shampoo smelled like vanilla and you let your eyes drift shut as you groaned softly, massaging your scalp with shampoo. The shampoo looked high-quality; it made sense, Yau-si had really nice hair. After washing it out, you grabbed a sponge and poured some of the body-wash on it, lathering up until your skin was tingling. The suds drained as you stood there, just feeling the warm water on your skin. You had a feeling your next shower wouldn't be soon and you wanted to savor this.

A small frown stuck on your face as you reflected on last night. Shorter looked so pissed, and he wasn't talking to you as much. Usually, he was the first to say good morning, and today, he said nothing. Was what you said really so rude? The rest of the water went down the drain as you turned the shower off.

As you grabbed a towel out of the cupboard, you heard a loud thud through the wall. You stopped drying yourself and stepped a bit closer to the wall, you could hear a muffled, angered voice through it. "You fucking snake!" The voice echoed and you frowned, pressing your ear against the wall, desperate to hear what was going on and who was yelling. The other voice was soft and you couldn't hear anything they said, the other person replied, louder, obviously under duress, "I said I would do it! I do it, and you leave her out of it."

It went silent and you flinched when you heard the door open and slam shut. Their heavy footsteps walked past the bathroom door. You continued to dry off your legs, heart racing. The clothes felt silky against your skin and you buttoned the shirt, fumbling anxiously. Before opening the door, you ran your hands through your damp hair, pushing it back; the clothes fit nicely and you thought you looked alright.

The cool air washed over your damp face, you could feel the humidity mixing with the crisp air as you walked towards the kitchen. Shorter was leaning over the sink, filling up a glass with tap water, you hopped up on one of the seats that surrounded the island. "Hey," you spoke timidly, still shaken up from what you just heard, and worried he was upset with you.

He chugged the water and set the glass down on the countertop loudly, his face looked awfully sallow. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk," you tilted your head, trying to peer into his sunglasses and read his full expression, "Are you feeling sick?"

"Nope," he shook his head to add emphasis to his point, "Why'd you think that?"

You smiled bashfully and slid off the seat, "You look a little uneasy. Maybe, I should check and see if you have a fever?" Something that resembled a smile graced his features, he took a few steps forward and nodded, leaning down slightly. You pressed your hand to his forehead, holding it there for a few seconds, your hand lingered against his temple as you dropped your arm back to your side. "Hmm," you tapped your fingers against your cheek, feigning deep thought.

"What's the diagnosis, 'doc?"

"I hope you have life insurance, sir." Shorter laughed softly and stood up straight, heading back to the sink to fill up his water again. He glanced at you again and looked you up and down.

"Where'd you get those clothes?"

"Oh," your face brightened when you remembered Yau-si's hospitality, "Yau-si had some clothes and said I could take a shower if I wanted."

"Yeah," he turned away from you as he filled up his glass, "Nice of him."

"And another thing; did you hear someone yelling a little while ago?"

"What do you mean?" Shorter turned around and leaned his back against the sink, drinking his water while listening to you.

"It was probably nothing. I just heard two people... arguing through the bathroom wall. Do you think it was Ash and Max? They do not always get along."

A new voice cut in and you gasped, clutching your chest in surprise, "It could have been. I didn't hear anything, though." Yau-si stood beside you, smiling. 

"Yeah, I didn't hear anything either," Shorter still looked sickly, he swallowed thickly and drank some more water.

You shrugged and Yau-si placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, "Would you like some tea, (y/n), or a snack before Suk-Leui makes dinner?" He looked at the clothes and then straightened out your wrinkled sleeve, his fingers felt cold around your wrist, "I hope the clothes are suitable."

"They are very comfortable. Thanks for letting me borrow them. Tea sounds great, do you need help?"

Yau-si nodded and walked towards where you assumed the tea was, as he walked away, he spoke, "Could you put some water in the teapot?"

Shorter gripped the cup tightly, jaw clenched, and lips pressed together tightly. At the same time, he looked nauseous. You touched him forearm reassuringly and smiled faintly, "Go lay down on the couch, alright? I will bring you something."

He cleared his throat, "Okay," then stalked off.

Once he was gone, you grabbed the teapot and started to fill it up, "Do you have anything for an upset stomach?"

"No, but I'll make him some tea... maybe, it'll help."

The tea was done and you insisted on giving Shorter his. A part of you believed that he didn't listen to you but when you turned the corner and walked into the living room, you saw him laying on the couch with his feet up and his hands behind his head. He perked up when he heard your footsteps. He watched you sit down on the coffee table and place the tray beside you.

"I made you some tea. Do you want some sugar?" You held up a cube of sugar and when he nodded, you dropped it in. It began to dissolve and you stirred it around, then handed it to him. "It's hot." The sound of him hissing in pain as he took a sip of the steaming hot liquid had you rolling your eyes, "I told you."

The dejected look on his face was noticeable and it was upsetting to see, you wanted to make him feel better but you had no clue what was going through his head. "Yeah, yeah," he blew on the tea and drank some more, obviously muscling through the scalding hotness of it. You opened your mouth to make a sarcastic remark but he held a finger to your lips and shook his head, "It's good."

You wrapped your fingers around his wrist and gently pushed his hand away, "Good."

He stared into the cup, swishing it around occasionally. Once again, he brought the cup to his lips, when he set it back on the table, he shot you a murky smile. "I'm feeling a bit better. I think I'll be alright now."

**Later**

"Gonna head off to bed," you stood up and waved everyone off. They were all sitting in the living room, chatting and drinking tea. Everyone murmured "goodnight's" except Ash, who nodded in acknowledgment. Yau-si had offered everyone spare rooms, you had been sleeping in one of the small guest rooms the past couple days. You left the door cracked, letting a little bit of light flood in from the hallway as you laid down in bed. Before shutting your eyes, you opened the nightstand beside the bed and made sure the handgun Ash let you borrow (a few days after the diner situation) was still in the drawer.

You couldn't really tell how much time passed or if you even fell asleep at all, but when you opened you cracked your eyes open, the clock showed that maybe, twenty minutes had passed. The room was a bit colder than usual with the door opened so you reluctantly got up and walked closer to the door. Just as you were about to shut it, you heard two voices, one was soft, and the other was slightly louder and more frantic. "What did you do?!

It didn't even take a second thought: You grabbed the gun out of the nightstand and flipped off the safety, holding it close to your body as you slid through the crack in the door and crept down the hallway. The voices became clearer and it felt as if your heart stopped when you recognized one of them as Shorter's. You peeked around the hallway and when you saw a glimpse of Eiji's limp body you bolted out from behind the wall. Ibe was in the same sleep-like state as Eiji, both had their eyes open... they looked lifeless. "What is going on?"

Shorter spun around, his mouth gaped open. Yau-si had a bored look on his face, "Oh dear," he tsked softly and shook his head.

"What is wrong with them?" You narrowed your eyes at Shorter and he looked dumbstruck, "What did you do?!" 

"I... this... it wasn't," his sentence faded off and it was like someone had lit a fire in your stomach; all the secrets stopped now. "(Y/n), just..."

"Ibe and Eiji... they just had an accident," Yau-si spoke softly, worriedly. Something about his tone irked you. 

"You both are keeping secrets! And... that arguing... it was you two, it must have been! When you held the gun up, aiming at Yau-si, Shorter held his hand up defensively, shaking his head. 

"Wait, wait! Don't do that... you don't know what'll happen if you do that!"

Angry, hot tears pooled in your eyes and you wiped them away. It was as if your mind was in a haze and your all rational thoughts had escaped you. It was similar to when you were aiming that gun on the dock, you felt that same anxious, adrenaline rush. That same sick feeling in your gut as you yelled, rubbing your teary eyes with your other hand. "Shut up! You _lied_ to me!" 

"It isn't like that!" He looked absolutely crushed... you hated it. You felt livid whenever you looked at his face and whenever you saw his lip trembling as if he was going to cry: A part of you still felt like comforting him, you still desperately wanted to trust him. That was what angered you the most. The only thing you felt when you looked at him was rage and overwhelming sadness; why would he betray Ash's, your's, and Eiji's trust like that?

You mulled over your options for a moment, neither of them had a gun, and if Shorter did, he wasn't using it. Yau-si didn't look particularly worried; it was disturbing how apathetic he was to the situation. "Just..." You groaned in frustration, "Shorter, get Eiji."

"What?"

"You heard what I said, grab him." He did what you said and you turned to Yau-si, "Where are the car keys?"

He blinked languidly, "There's not really a point in that. They'll be here any minute," he tossed his head back slightly and laughed, "Besides, is there really a point? He betrayed everyone he cared about. That man will know... he can't move or speak, but he can see and hear," His gaze landed on Shorter and he smiled conceitedly, "Everyone will know about your betrayal, Shorter. Do you really want that on your conscious? Just help me fix this... situation, and it'll all go away."

"You said nothing bad would happen to her if I helped you. And I know that once those men get here, you'll just take Eiji and break your promise!" Shorter held Eiji tight and took a few steps away from Yau-si, close to you.

The pieces seemed to fall into place and you gripped the gun tighter, hands getting clammier by the minute, "You have something on him..." The urge to ask more about it nagged at you, but there was something a lot more pressing, "Where are the keys?"

He pursed his lips when it dawned on him that he no choice anymore, "In the kitchen, hanging on a hook near the doorway."

“What about Ibe?” Shorter asked.

“Damnit!" You had almost forgotten about Ibe with everything else going on around you, "Can you... um, carry him too?"

"You've got to be kidding me, (y/n)! Of course not!"

To your surprise, Yut Lung chimed in, “They’ll think he’s dead.”

"You are not getting off so easy," you walked up to him and grabbed him by his hair, pressing the gun into his back, "You are coming too. You did... that to Eiji, and you are going to fix it."

"I don't have much of a choice, now do I?" He grunted as you pulled on his hair, urging him to walk forward, "I see..."

The keys were right where he said they would be. You grabbed them and ran outside, Shorter in tow. Shorter placed Eiji in the backseat and buckled him in hastily once you unlocked the doors, he jumped into the driver's seat. You shoved Yau-si into the back and you followed behind, still gripping his hair tightly. "I need the keys," Shorter held his hand out and you handed them to him, he jammed them into the keyhole and slammed his foot on the gas. The car lurched forward and you were thankful Eiji had a seatbelt on. The gate slowly opened when Shorter used the little button on the car's dashboard. He pressed on the gas and shot down the road as quickly as was safe.

**1 Hour**

“Where were Ash and Max?" Yau-si had definitely stopped shifting around as much, he was still against the seat, looking out the window silently. You had let go of his hair but kept the gun pressed against his side.

"Somebody had broken in Max's ex-wife's house and called him up. It was... a set-up to get them out," even saying the words seemed to pain him.

"And where are we going?" Being curt with Shorter bothered you, and it seemed to bother him, but you couldn't control your anger; what did Yau-si have on him that made him betray everyone like that?

“I have friends. They wouldn’t go against me. We can hide out with them.”

“In Chinatown?”

“Yeah, the guys in my gang.”

"And they won't go against us?"

"Nah, they wouldn't do that," he shook his head.

Yau-si piped up, chiding Shorter softly, "Sonny did."

You prodded the gun into his side, causing him to recoil away ever so slightly, "Quiet... just fall asleep or something."

"Hm, I would if I was certain I would wake up again. With you, I'm not so sure." 


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow this was short AND bad hah
> 
> so like, im not really into writing anymore... so this might be the last one for a while, or maybe not, who knows. I dont even read fanfic anymore. im just focused on other things ngl.

Air... there was air rushing all around you. The world was black and you reached out; trying to grasp at it. Your fingers scraped against a rough surface and suddenly, you felt lighter than a feather, your breath was stuck in your throat and you gasped softly before plunging into something warm and sticky. The liquid was thick and smelled foul, you clawed at the walls until the tips of your fingers were ripped up. And if you looked up, you could see the faintest circle of bright light.

Shuddery, raspy breaths tore through you as you dove under the water, trying to make out anything; it was too dark. When you went up for air, your head popped up and when you reached for the wall, you could grab it. It wasn't slippery and vertical; it was a shoreline. You wiped your eyes furiously and opened them, trying to see what was surrounding you.

"You musta' had one of hell of a dream, huh?"

The room was small, smelled like smoke, and was dimly lit by a lamp. When you rubbed your eyes, they still felt wet. "What time is it?"

"Late." You sat up abruptly and narrowed your eyes; his sunglasses were sat on the table, he looked exhausted. "Uh... what were you dreaming about?"

"Oh," you stood up and tilted your head to the side, you had already begun to crack your fingers as you walked over to the window and peaked out of the blinds, "I... I cannot remember." You glanced over your shoulder, "Where's Eiji?"

"Sing's getting one of those... needles so Yut-Lung can wake him up," he rested his chin his hand, "Maybe, you should try and get some more rest?"

"Not tired... I want to talk." You shot a dejected look in his direction. "Who's Yut-Lung... and Sing?"

He shrugged, "What about?"

As you slid your finger across the windowsill, dust collected on your skin. You stared at it, then blew it off. "Sit down with me?"

He mustered a smile, "Yeah, of course." The two of you sat down on the couch. You faced him completely and sat cross-legged. He stared blankly in your direction, "So..."

"Why did you do it?"

There was a sudden flash of hurt in his eyes and he looked down at his hands, "I felt like... like I didn't have a choice," his eyes scanned across your face and he shook his head slightly, "That's not an excuse."

" _Why_?" He shook his head and opened his mouth, then shut it. “Shorter...” You spoke quietly.

“I fucked up; I just..." He pressed his lips together and nodded firmly. “I had too.” His voice softened until it sounded frail, “I didn't know what to do, (y/n),” hesitantly, he reached his hand out to you but changed his mind and stopped midway, “I just want... I wanted...”

Gently, you reached your hand out and rested it on top of his. The feeling of his skin against yours was a feeling you definitely missed; holding hands with him was probably one of the best feelings you had experienced. “Just talk to me.”

He shot you a misty smile and licked his lips nervously, "You... you mean a lot to Eiji. I couldn't just sit back, (y/n); please, try and understand, okay?" You nodded and squeezed his hand lightly, "If I hadn't gone along with it, they told me they would... hurt you," he glared at where you and his hand connected, "Yau-Si... his real name is Yut-Lung: He's part of the Lee clan."

"What are you talking about?"

"We shouldn't have trusted him so easily. And shit," he hung his head slightly, "He knows Banana Fish is a drug-"

You leaned forward, eyebrows raised, still clasping his hand, "It is a drug? How do you know?"

“Oh right. You came with me on the drive. You wouldn’t have known unless Ash told you. I guess he didn’t.” Idly, he ran his thumb along your knuckles. You looked at him expectantly. "Oh! Oh, yeah; the drug causes the user to experience all kinds of crazy shit; hallucinations, hearing stuff, memory loss, violent behavior. Ash read all about it in Dawson's computer."

“Those suicide cases were caused by the drug? And the rat’s behavior?” Your eyes widened in curiosity. Banana Fish was a drug; you were shocked (and irritated) that you were just learning about this now.

“Yeah. I couldn’t believe it when Ash told me.”

"Is... Yut-Lung still here?"

"Yeah, of course. Listen, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have let anything happen to Eiji: You have to believe me when I say that.

You chewed on your bottom lip, "It is a lot to take in; why... why would you do that for me?" He stayed silent for a moment, "You risked _everyone's_ well-being, including your own. I deserve an answer."

_Finally_ , he looked you directly in the eyes. "You mean a lot to Eiji, and I know Ash doesn't act like it, but he does care about you. You... you mean something to me too, though: I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"Oh..." You stared at your lap. Your throat felt abnormally tight and you swallowed, then exhaled, "You mean a lot to me too. I wish..." Before you could even start your sentence, your voice cracked. "I feel like I am always crying," you laughed softly as a few warm tears dripped down your cheeks. A deep sigh left you, "Sorry."

"Hey," you felt his hand slide up your wrist and up your arm, then lift to your cheek. His rough thumb swiped under your eye and he scooched a little closer. You flushed as he parted his lips slightly, "It's alright to cry, (y/n)." A genuine smile spread across his face and you reached up, wrapping your shaky hand around his wrist and holding him tightly; you didn't want him to leave.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im fucking doing it. im doing this. i really need to get my shit together and get some motivation; lets do this thing ladies

"Ha," you exhaled loudly, smiled wearily and averted your eyes. With your fingers still wrapped around his wrist; you pushed your cheek against his hand until your face squished up.

"Something funny?"

Slowly, you met his eyes and chuckled lightly, "Hmm, nope. Just... relaxing."

A loud knock startled you. Shorter jerked away suddenly and called in the direction of the door, "What?"

The voice on the other side of the door shocked you out of your relaxed stupor; it sounded like a little kid talking. "Eiji's waking up! Get your ass out here!" Shorter jumped up and pulled you up with him, he swung the door open and on the other side, you locked eyes with... a child. He looked like a teenager, but was slimmer than most. The kid had an intense look on his face as he... glared at you; that was the best way to put it. Abruptly, he turned around and walked down the hallway, the two of you followed.

Eiji was sprawled out on the couch and a few people were gathered around him, watching. You pushed a few men aside which earned you a few dirty looks but you didn't care less. His eyes fluttered and he let out a groan and a yawn. His eyes opened slowly and he squinted at you and Shorter in confusion, “Where are we?" He said as he looked around the room.

You lunged at him and practically squeezed the life out of him. He huffed and slowly returned the hug, patting your back awkwardly, still confused as to what was going on. “Do you feel alright?” 

He nodded slowly and looked around the room at all of the strangers he was surrounded by, “What is going on? Where is Ash?”

“I’ve got no clue, actually. He shoulda been here by now,” Shorter ran his hand through his hair and shrugged, “You remember anything?”

“Ibe and I were with Yau-Si. Where’s Ibe? What happened to him?” He tried to get up but collapsed back onto the couch, “I’m so tired...” he lifted his arm up and held his hand straight in the air, he watched his own arm shake involuntarily, worry filling his face. "I do not remember much of anything."

“Eiji... something happened."

______________________________________________________________________

“You left Ibe?!” Eiji scoffed and struggled to cross hi arms. Everything he did was making his body feel like jello.

“Shorter could not carry both of you! Ibe would wake up eventually and we promised to take care of you.”

“Is Yau-Si, I mean, Yut Lung still here?”

Shorter nodded, “He's being watched, don't worry.”

“And Ash-he should be here by now. It has been three days!” It was upsetting seeing Eiji so upset and anxious, especially since he could barely stand up without help at the moment.

“I don’t know what’s taking him so long. I’m getting worried, though,” Shorter exhaled, “I might have to go looking-”

“I am coming with you then," you didn't hesitate.

“Oh, no," he laughed, "Tough shit; you're staying here.”

"Are you serious?" You scowled, preparing to argue. Before you could get in more words of complaint, the boy, who you had learned was named Sing, burst into the room.

“Shorter!” He took a harsh breath, “Shorter! It’s Ash!”

“Is he here?”

Yet again, Eiji tried to get up. His eyes drooped and he stumbled forward, “Just sit down, Eiji,” you scolded him and he frowned, but allowed himself to be guided back towards the small couch.

“No! The Lee’s got them!” He got his breathing under control, “They’re with Golzine.”

Shorter and Eiji’s mouths dropped.

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath.

____________________________________________________________________________

You were alone with Shorter; he was pacing around the room, occasionally glancing at a map of Golzine's massive house. "I am coming with you."

Shorter shook his head, “I don't think so.”

“I will not take no for an answer,” you responded flatly.

“No! Last time I brought you with me everything went so shit. I got you involved when I promised myself I wouldn’t.”

You clasped your hands behind your head in frustration, “I don't give a shit!”

His eyes widened in disbelief at your outburst; your usually soft-spoken tone was replaced with a loud, demanding yell and that cute accent of yours was almost non-existent. “If you thought I would not want to come; you are stupid! You always say that, Shorter, but, like it or not, I am here. I am in the situation!” He scowled. “I want to do this.”

“The answer is still no."

The intensity in your eyes faded and that child-like wonder you always carried around returned, “Sorry for yelling... but... I do not want you to go,” you took a few steps forward, craning your neck up at him and pouting slightly. So that's how you were going to play this... since your outburst didn't work you would try and work him another way; it almost made him angry how easily you would just... manipulate a situation. It reminded him of how Ash had acted in juvie. "I do not want to be so worried about you," you hands rested on his wrists and you frowned, "If I am there then I will not be so worried."

It made him angry that he _liked_ it; based on previous conversations, you did mean what you were saying. But you were saying it in a way to get your way. It grossed him out how fine he was with it, though. It almost made him feel good; the appreciation, the fact you wanted him around, wanted him to stay... it seemed like you were the first girl who wanted to keep him around for longer than a night. "Yeah?"

"Mhm."

"I... I guess..." He sighed softly as you beamed; he didn't want you to be hurt, but he didn't want to see you upset with him. His mind wandered as you celebrated and he almost hated himself for feeling so pleased; so selfish...

______________________________________________________________________

Shorter hung up the phone, smiling wildly, “We have our chance. Golzine and Arthur left. This is our chance, you can still back out, (y/n).”

“I won’t. But Eiji; he is still too weak. He can barely stand properly. I know he will want to come anyway. Especially if Ash will be there.”

“You didn't tell him what happened to Ash, right?”

You shook your head, “Of course not. We will need to be quiet when we leave so we do not wake him up.”

“Got it,” Shorter walked towards a curtained-off section of a wall, “You’ll need this,” he tossed you a handgun, similar to the one he had given you a month or so ago, “You still remember how to use it?”

“Yes,” you flicked the safety off and on.

“And you’ve got that knife, right?” He pulled out two handguns and examined them, then slid one into the front of his jeans and the other in the back.

You nodded.

“Let’s do this, then.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow long chapter babyyyy. we have action, we have drama, we have romance. we got it all mannn
> 
> sorry for spelling errors i only checked over this once

You watched from behind a tree. Something whizzed through the air and wrapped around one of the guard’s neck. It looked like a fishing wire; you shuddered, partly because of the cold and partly from the gruesome sound that escaped the guard. Regardless of the cold, you were on _fire_ ; the soft grunts and then the hushed, breathless whisper beckoned you to come out of the brush.

Sing smiled deviously... it was odd how comfortable he was with this; sad. He was younger than you and already used to death.

It felt like electricity was shooting through your veins as you ran alongside them, breathing heavily through your nose as the blinding light of the mansion approached.

The news had spread around the mansion quickly. Guards were armed but Shorter’s gang and Ash’s took them down easily. In this situation, being quiet was obviously easier than just running in and blasting the place up.

Shorter motioned for you to stay behind and you listened; he let you come, you thought at least you would listen to his directions. They were yelling about Ash, looking for him, and also losing their minds about where everyone was.

“Backups here!” The man who seemed to be second-in-command for Ash spoke up.

They pulled out their handguns and shot at the guards, you heard the beginning of a yell, then a gasp, then a few consecutive thuds. A dull cracking sound made you cringe, but you stayed back despite being curious. You only dared to move till Shorter called down the hallway; the scene was horrific. Bodies, blood... and the smell.

Another guard struggled and then gurgled as Sing stabbed him in the back with his odd weapon. Shorter stepped forward, “I’ll let you live if you answer my question. Where’s Ash Lynx?” There was another guard, badly hurt, but still alive.

He rasped and breathed harshly, “Down... in the basement,” his body hunched forward as he coughed violently.

“C’mon!” 

Running, gunshots in the distance; it all felt like a blur. It took so much effort just to keep your head straight, the adrenaline was rushing through you and your head was pounding. The cluster of men ran past, towards the basement, Shorter was in the lead because he had been in Golzine's mansion before. Something clattered in a different room and you stopped suddenly, the door was ajar and you backed away slightly, watching them continue to run. They didn't even notice you break off, thankfully.

The sounds of crashing and bottles breaking caught your attention and you slipped into the crack in the door. Down a long staircase, there was a man, rummaging through cupboards and grabbing items and bottles of a counter, he was wearing green hospital scrubs. It was curious that he seemed so panicked... who the hell was this guy? Quietly, you grabbed the gun out of your waistband and stepped down one of the steps.

He had a large briefcase in his arms and was searching through different papers, letting some of them simply fall on the floor. The metal creaked lightly as you hurried down the stairs, trying to catch the guy; he almost seemed scared. His curly hair was a mess and he ran a hand through it roughly before letting out a deep breath.

As quietly as you could, you walked down the steps. He seemed too distracted with gathering materials and papers and stuffing them in his briefcase to notice you walking down towards him. As your foot touched the floor loudly, he spun around.

He looked awfully confused, "A girl?” he swallowed and his face filled with recognition, “You were there... with Griffin,” his fingers trembled as you stepped closer. 

This guy... he had the same glasses, same hair; "You are the one who made that?" You gestured towards the mess of bottles and liquids with the handgun, face hardening as you stepped a tad closer. "You were there with Arthur and... you made the drug,” you checked over the gun. The safety was on and you flicked it off.

“I... It was for scientific purposes! I never meant any harm!"

"And you experimented on _innocent_ people?" Remembering the time when Griff was shot right in front of your eyes made your brow tighten.

“No!” It was as if he was holding the briefcase out like it would stop a gunshot; he was the one who made such a mess... but he was so scared. Without thinking, you aimed the gun towards him. You were close enough that you wouldn’t miss. “I never meant any harm; I had to perfect it!” He dropped the briefcase and rose his hands defensively, taking a few steps closer in the process.

“You hurt innocent people, though!” How many others were there? How many other innocent people did he _poison_... for science?

Just you steadied your hand, ready to shoot, he rushed you. The weight of his body knocked the wind out of you. He reached for the gun and tried to pry it away from your fingers, “Just let go!” His nails dug into your hand and you tucked your legs closer to your body so you could try and kick him off. He aimed the gun further away from him so that if it fired, it would fire upwards, closer to you. You cried out as he let go your wrist and elbowed you in the gut. Your grip loosened and he snatched the gun and threw it across the room. "I had a reason!" He shouted in your face angrily and backhanded you roughly.

For a moment, you laid still, stunned by the pain that spread throughout your stomach. His hands wrapped around your neck and you snapped back to reality. You gasped for air and clawed at his wrists.

His knees pressed further into your stomach and you almost gave up; your vision flashed white and for a second. You let your eyes droop. The realization hit you like a ton of bricks. With trembling hands, you slipped one down your shirt and pulled out the knife. Dawson’s eyes doubled in size at the sight of you flicking it open.

“Get the fuck down here!” It was fuzzy, but you recognized a voice...

Terror seemed to crawl down your spine and settle in your gut as you jammed the knife into the side of his neck.

He coughed up blood and splattered your face with it; it felt warm and you almost gagged. He collapsed on top of you and you sucked up the air like it was the last time you would ever breathe. You let go of the handle of the knife and reached up to touch your throat; the skin felt tender and you winced. A tearless sob left your throat as you pushed on his shoulders. You heard footsteps behind you and someone grabbed your hands and pulled out from underneath Dawson. You coughed hoarsely and shot up, bringing your hands up to your mouth. 

“I said you shouldn't fucking bring her.” Lao spat. Shorter crouched beside you and grabbed your face, tilting you head up slightly so he could get a good look at your neck, “Shorter, we don't have time for this shit."

"Would you shut the fuck up? You're giving me a damn headache!" Frown lines were etched deep in his forehead as you look at you.

“I am fine,” you swatted his hand away, “Did you find them?”

“(Y/n)!” Ibe pushed through the crowd and knelt down next to Shorter, “I was so worried… I thought Dino had you and Eiji... Is he okay?”

Shorter cut you off before you could reply, “Yes. Yut Lung woke him up-”

“Yut Lung?”

It hit you: They didn’t know about anything that happened. It would take a while to catch them up.

When Ash stepped in front of you; you were awe-struck. You hadn’t seen him in a week but it felt like longer. His cold expression left you breathless. His hair was pushed back and in one ear, he wore a beautiful green earring. It looked like he had been wearing a dress-shirt but it was cut up, as was his chest.

Before you could speak, he extended a hand. You took it and he pulled you up, “Where’s Eiji?”

“Chinatown, with Shorter’s guys," you answered.

“Let’s go,” he turned around and walked towards the stairs. When he heard nobody following he spun around, “Move it!”

Shorter scoffed when he was out of earshot. He leaned down by your ear, “Same old Ash.”

“Yeah..." Ash was the only person not treating you like a child right now.

Suddenly, he called down from the staircase, “Get the suitcase!”

Max grabbed it off the ground and the group walked out.

For once, things were going right.

_______________________________________________________________

The reunion was heart-warming, to say the least. You knew you would get an earful from Eiji later, but for now, he was talking to Ash. When Eiji first saw him, he practically jumped on him and hugged him tightly; you were surprised when Ash didn’t flinch. It just proved to you that they were becoming closer.

Ash’s gang had coddled him and asked what had happened and you noticed that he genuinely looked at-ease. You and Shorter were leaned against the wall, watching Ash list off his demands: Clothes, food, a tablet, and a few phones. 

He had been asleep for a while already and he made sure that it got into his friend’s heads to wake him up in two hours.

Shorter looked down at you for what seemed like the millionth time, “C’mere,” you followed him towards a small bathroom. He kicked the door closed with his foot and then patted the counter space next to the sink, “Hop up.”

“Why?” You jumped up.

“I wanna see your neck,” he took off his sunglasses and placed them next to you, “And I don't want to strain my own neck looking down at you.”

“Hm,” you arched an eyebrow, "Calling me short, huh?" When you tilted your head, your neck moved slightly and you grit your teeth at the aching pain.

Shorter rested is hand on your jaw and carefully tilted your head to both sides, “Asshole had a strong grip,” he brushed his thumb along one of the bruises and you sucked in air through your teeth, “Sorry, kiddo," the tense look in his eyes relaxed and he stared at you, brown eyes filled with sadness.

"What are you thinking about?" You whispered.

He wet his lips nervously and you watched his eyes flicker away from yours, “You just stopped moving,” he hesitated, “I was... terrified." It almost seemed like he was more traumatized from the attack than you were. "It just made me think." Shorter opened a small drawer and dug through it, producing a small washcloth. He adjusted the handles on the water until it was lukewarm and then dampened the rag. “I don’t know what I would do with myself if something happened to you.” His brow furrowed, "That sounds silly, doesn't it?"

The cloth was damp and warm; it felt good against your skin. "No... no, it does not."

"This feel okay?" He murmured softly; your eyes were closed and you smiled lightly as you nodded, a soft sound coming from your mouth to show your appreciation. 

His head must’ve been going a million miles per hour as he finished wiping your cheek off; the sound of the sink running lulled you into a deeper state of relaxation, you opened your eyes just as he was ringing out the washcloth and draping it over the spout of the sink. Shorter straightened his back and held his hand out, gesturing for you to hop down. His tan skin seemed to glow in the dim sunlight seeping through the window, your face reddened as you followed the curve of his lips to his chin, all the way to his jaw. "You good?" He waggled his fingers, feeling a tad awkward that you were just sitting there.

“Yeah,” your response time was slow and dull-sounding. Slowly, you leaned forward, and within a second, you had rested your hand on his shoulder lightly. You craned your neck up and jerked him forward, successfully wrapping your arm around the back of his neck. No sound came from him as you closed your eyes and pressed your lips against his. Your cheeks had never felt his hot before... it felt like you were risking it all, as over dramatic as that sounded.

He grabbed the countertop on either side of you, trapping you inside; instead of the questions you expected, he seemed to melt against you, pushing harder than you expected; he felt warm and his lips were soft, basically what you imagined.

It only lasted a few seconds or more, but it felt so much shorter. When he pulled away, you kept your arm around him, making sure he didn't leave. "Um," he exhaled through his nose deeply and licked his lips, "We should wake up Ash."

It felt like your body was just reacting without thinking, you shook your head abruptly. "I am... uh... sorry." So much for that momentary courage. You dropped your arm and looked away, embarrassment rushing through you like a wave. "Good idea."

“Ah, and um, you can come back with me... unless you wanna sleep here in the same place as Eiji. I know you haven’t seen him in a while,” he let go of the countertop and stepped aside so you could jump down.

“No. I think Eiji and Ash will want to catch up.”

“Yeah, you're probably right. I just wanted to make sure you were cool with everything,” he seemed so rushed... like he wanted to leave all the sudden. "Ash will probably want us back tomorrow morning."

You and Shorter walked out of the bathroom just as Eiji was trying to wake Ash up. Ash leaned up slowly, blinking erratically as he tried to get his eyes used to the light. He got up, mumbling something about taking a shower. 

“Yo, Ash. We’re gonna head out, gotta check on everything-”

“Yeah, yeah,” he kept trudging towards the bathroom, “Just get your ass back here tomorrow morning,” and he was gone, just like that.

You and Eiji hugged quickly, “Everything feels normal now?”

“Yep,” he wiggled his fingers to prove his point and you couldn’t help but smile, “You will be back tomorrow morning?”

“I promise.”

For good measure, you stuck your pinkie out. He did the same and hooked it around yours, “Sounds like a plan, then.” Eiji grinned and embraced you once again, "You better watch out for her, Shorter," Eiji teased him and Shorter laughed way to hard for normalcy. 

________________________________________________________________________

When you got back to Shorter's place, your immediate thought was to take a scorching hot shower: So you did. Slowly, you ran your hand across the fogged up mirror and looked at yourself; this must’ve been the skinniest you had ever been. You barely touched your sides and you could feel your ribs underneath your skin.

The change in your appearance was odd. You had always been naturally smaller and thinner than most, but this was pushing it. You licked your chapped lips, took the towel off the doorknob, and roughly towel-dried your hair.

After you dried off the rest of your body, you reached for the clothes Shorter had "borrowed" from Ash. The clothing was loose and comfortable; a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt; it looked like something Ash would've worn to bed, which was good enough for you. Functional was more important than fashionable, in your opinion.

You opened the bathroom door, towel in hand, and walked up behind Shorter. He was sprawled on the couch, staring at the T.V. screen, “Where should I put this?

“There’s a closet to the right, just throw it in the basket. Oh, and throw your other clothes in there, too. I’ll wash ‘em tonight.” As he said, there was a closet, in the corner of it, a washer and dryer were crudely fit into the small space. Next to it was the basket. You tossed the clothes and towel into it and walked back to him. Shorter stood up and stretched his arms high above his head as he yawned, “I’m gonna take a shower, too. You can have a seat if you want.”

The couch was warm because he had just been sitting on it; you relaxed and let yourself slouch.

“Be back,” you heard the bathroom door shut.

Today, from your perspective, was a big win. Ash was back and in good health, Eiji was awake and safe, Yut Lung was being watched, Shorter was here, and you were safe. Things were going good for now and you were going to bask in it, at least for tonight. And you would ignore the kiss; pretend it didn't happen unless Shorter brought it up.

Slowly, your eyes drooped and your breathing slowed as you drifted off to sleep.

______________________________________________________________________

The first sound you heard when waking up was something beating quickly: It felt like the sound was right next to your ear. Then you realized you weren’t on the couch anymore.

Someone was carrying you.

Your fingers curled into the fabric of a shirt and you lifted your head off this person’s chest. “Shit, sorry,” he mumbled quietly, “I didn’t mean to wake you up.” It was just Shorter. You let your head thud back against his chest and you shut your eyes, loosening the grip on his shirt. He laid you down on what you assumed was a bed, then pulled a thin blanket over you.“‘Night,” he started to walk away from the bed but you reached out to him, “Hm?” You mumbled something nonsensical and then scooted over, still tugging on his shirt, until your head reached the other pillow. He followed you as you pulled and crawled onto the bed; you heard him exhale deeply. Carefully, he lifted the blanket and slid underneath it. "(Y/n)?"

"Mm?" You groaned and rolled over to the side he was on.

"It's not a good idea... what happened." That woke you up in an instant; the room was too dark to see his face. "You're such an amazing girl; I won't ruin that," he sighed deeply, "I'm sorry... if that makes you sad. I wish things were different; it's just not a good idea, alright?"

You shrugged weakly, "Yeah, I get it."

Even though he had explained why he didn't want that with you... something was still bothering you. You rolled over and shut your eyes tightly; what if you looked more like than woman? What if you had curly, pretty hair? Beautiful, glowing skin? Bigger hips? Would you be his type then? Even if he didn't say anything outward, he obviously thought she was pretty; anyone would. You touched your flat stomach and reached under your shirt, running your fingers along your ribs. He said it was him, so why did you feel so _ugly_...


End file.
